


Tear in my heart

by itsmeganonthemoon



Category: Bandom, Panic! at the Disco, Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Basically everything could change and probably will, Eventual Smut, F/M, M/M, Rating May Change, Such is the universe, Tags May Change, This is gonna be weird, When I'm done I'm gonna go back through and sort out all the inconsistencies, also how confusing is it that Debby's last name is the same as Ryan's first name?, also josh doesn't swear, i dont know how well it will work out, im so bad at this, so he has weird replacements for swearwords, sorry about all these tags, this was a very spur of the moment thing, well I guess it's his middle name
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-05
Updated: 2018-02-07
Packaged: 2018-08-13 05:14:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 19
Words: 18,986
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7963858
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsmeganonthemoon/pseuds/itsmeganonthemoon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Josh Dun is in his senior year of High School. He'd thought he knew everything he needed to know about himself, but when his friend Brendon kisses him at a party, his whole world gets turned upside down.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Doubt

Josh Dun, Brendon Urie and Ryan Ross approached the house containing the party from a few blocks away, where Brendon had parked his car so it wouldn’t get wrecked from the rabble. Josh carried both of the six-packs of beer they’d brought because _apparently_ holding hands with your boyfriend was far too much work to also _carry_ something.

Brendon and Ryan were talking about something or other, Josh wasn’t sure what. He just wanted his girlfriend, Debby Ryan, to be there, but her parents were way too strict for that. Though, he thought, Brendon’s parents were strict, and he still made it out. 

When they finally got inside the house (did Brendon seriously have to park so far away? He could have at least parked one block over or something...), Ryan immediately saw someone he had to talk to, so gave a Brendon a quick kiss goodbye, took one of the six-packs from Josh, and ran towards them.

“Guess it’s just you and me then, huh?” Brendon said, snapping Josh out of his thoughts.

“Huh? Y- oh. Yeah.” Josh replied.

They proceeded to the table with all the drinks on it and set down the rest of the beer, taking one bottle each, then sat on one of the sofas. Josh briefly thought about how much money the person who threw this party must have, considering for how long he would have to save up to pull something half the size of this off.

They started to talk about irrelevant things like homework and TV shows and “Did you hear about MCRX?” And managed to get through several beers each, so soon enough they were drunk. 

Then someone from the crowd of people (Josh thought his name might have been Pete?) jolted them up, and next thing they knew, they were dancing their hearts out to American Idiot.

The song ended triumphantly and Josh and Brendon were face to face. Without warning, Brendon leaned forward and their lips sloppily met. A million thoughts were racing through Josh’s head, primarily, “What the effing heck!?” and, “Wait, Brendon’s a dude- I can’t be enjoying this, I like girls!” among things like, “Eww, his mouth tastes of beer and something else... probably weed...”

“What the _fuck_ , Bren?” Josh heard Ryan’s voice from behind him. Oh, dipcrap...

Josh quickly pulled away from Brendon, who walked unsteadily to his boyfriend, trying to avoid making a scene. He thought about how he should be able to keep this a secret from Debby, provided he even remembers it.

He quickly collected his things (a coat and a phone), before rushing outside to call an uber.

When he eventually got home, he got himself a pack of crisps and listened to the voicemail, which contained another missed call from his mum, telling him she’d have  
to work late tonight, but she should be home in the morning. He checked his phone for the time. _1:22am_ . He then went upstairs, stripped off his trousers, then laid in bed, thinking about the events of the night, before drifting into an uneasy sleep.


	2. Trade Mistakes

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Don't get used to chapters in such quick succession. If you know me then you'll know that it's taken me 2 years to write my malec fic and I still haven't finished. But I did finish the Degrassi fic over the summer, so you should be proud of me for that! Anyway, the point I was trying to make is to be pessimistic about how often I'm gonna post, and you... well you'll probably still be disappointed tbh...

Now it was Saturday and, after much deliberation, Josh had decided that the only reason he _thought_ he enjoyed that kiss with Brendon was because of how drunk he was, and not because he was wrong about his sexuality. Definitely...

As he sorely climbed out of bed (hung-over, as predicted), he heard his phone buzz. The screen read _Brendon_ , Lordy Lord.

_Brendon: Hey man, can we meet up? We have to talk about last night..._

_Josh: Sure, dude, come to my house as soon as you can._

Josh then proceeded to get dressed and brush his teeth, before going downstairs just in time to hear the knock at his door.

No sooner had he opened the door than Brendon started wobblingly saying, “Oh fuck, I fucked up, Ryan’s so mad at me, you’re not mad too, are you? No. You wouldn’t invite me here if you were mad, would you-”

“Brendon I’m not mad.” Josh tried to say, but Brendon kept gushing his thoughts.

“-unless you were going to lull me into a false sense of security. That’s sick, man, sick. How could you do that to me?”

“Bren!” Josh had to shout to get his attention, “I’m not mad at you!”

“Y-you’re not?” Brendon asked uncharacteristically timidly. Josh nodded his head (very characteristically affectionately), before bringing Brendon into a hug.

The two teens ended up talking for quite a while, mostly Brendon talking about Ryan, but sometimes Josh would say things to comfort him.

Eventually Josh’s mum came home and, noticing Brendon’s pinkish eyes, asked if Brendon would like a drink. He politely refused and decided to go home.

After Brendon had left, Josh did a little homework before going to bed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I do ship Rydon, but I'm sorry they just had to split up for the sake of the plot.


	3. Implicit Demand for Proof

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! Another chapter so soon. As I said in a reply on the last chapter, I'm really enjoying writing this fanfiction, so I'll update as much as possible, but there is stuff like homework that gets in the way :/.

Tyler traipsed to school, listening to _Walk off the Earth_ , his heavy backpack hung negligently from his shoulders. As per usual (for a Monday), he went straight to his locker then to his first lesson- Maths. And as per usual, he sat behind his crush of about three and a half years (i.e. the amount of time they’d been in High School)-Josh. And as per usual, Josh didn’t notice him as he lay out his equipment- a notepad, a pencil case, and the homework he had completed over the weekend.

“-yeah but it’s just a shame that it had to end like that, you know?” Tyler heard an unusually distraught Brendon say to the pink haired boy.

“Dude, it’s your fault, you _kissed me_.” Josh replied, whispering as he said the last bit.

“ _I was drunk_ and besides, I’m pretty sure you... reciprocated...”

“What? _No_!”Tyler couldn’t tell if Josh was being sarcastic, he was trying his best not to stare while eavesdropping, but he couldn’t deny that Josh was beautiful, so he stole glances as often as possible. “I’m straight!”

Tyler had to admit he was a little disappointed at that last part, but it was obviously something that couldn’t be changed to he decided not to dwell.

Brendon just snickered at Josh’s remark, “Well, it you change your min-”

But before he could continue, Ryan walked through the door, clearly trying to avoid eye contact with Brendon. Tyler had known they were dating, so was confused at this sudden change of behaviour- what _happened?_ They must have broken up or had a really bad argument or something, it was probably due to the aforementioned kiss. _Wait_ if Brendon kissed Josh and he “reciprocated”, that means Josh must be gay (or bi or pan), right?

Ryan was forced to awkwardly sit in front of Brendon, despite whatever had happened between them. 

Debby walked in and gave Josh a quick hug before sitting next to him, and then came the teacher. As Mr Quinn walked in, Ryan immediately stood up and asked to change seats. When asked why, he said it was to do with a breakup, and he was put diagonally behind Tyler, on the opposite side of Brendon.

The class proceeded as normal, but Tyler wasn’t bothered with expanding brackets to rationalise the denominator, all he could think about was Josh.

\---

At lunch, Tyler sat with his friend Jenna, who told him that denial wasn’t just a river in Egypt, before chucking away all her rubbish and saying she’d meet him in the library. Tyler finished his can of Redbull, then followed her. 

Somehow, he managed to catch her up in the hallway, and asked her if what she’d said meant she thought Josh likes guys then. She sucked through her teeth before replying, “Why don’t you ask him, honey?”

“ _Because...._ I don’t even think we’ve had a full conversation in the past year.”

“Dude, how can you have a crush on someone you barely know?”

“Hey, I know him, we sat next to each other in the first semester of Junior year!”

“People change, Tyler, come on.” Jenna gave him a look that seemed to say _duh_.

“Okay I also eavesdrop on a lot more conversations than I tell you...and stalk his Facebook, Instagram, Tumblr, Snapchat...” Tyler’s gaze drifted to the floor.

She simply tutted and turned her head. “Now _this_ is how I know you spend too much time alone. Let me guess, you also have a habit of drawing _Mrs Tyler Dun_ in your secret diary?”

“Shut up!” He said before gently punching her in the arm. “Also why am I the one taking his last name?”

All she said in response was, “Come on.” And they continued walking.


	4. Holding Onto You

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay! New chapter. (I'm still supposed to be doing homework right now...)

Tyler walked through the school halls alone after his last class is over. On his way to the main doors, he noticed Josh by his locker, clearly flirting with his girlfriend, Debby. _Just to rub salt on the wound,_ Tyler thought, staring for what might be classed as a little too long at the happy couple.  


When he got home, he immediately logged onto his computer, vowing to himself that he’d do Wednesday’s homework on Tuesday night. He opened up Josh’s tumblr and saw that it was filled with more artsy photos about Debby, Tyler inwardly gagged at the couple and promptly closed the tab, deciding that maybe this wasn’t something that might cheer him up.  
With that in mind, he texted Jenna: _Please help me..._  
She replied within about 30 seconds: _What’s wrong? Are you okay?_  
Tyler: _Yeah, sorry if I worried you. I just can’t believe Josh is straight. He has_ pink _hair!_  
Jenna: _Like I say, I don’t think he is, he’s probably just confused. Debby is the real problem here._  
Tyler: _Jenna, for the last time, I’m not plotting a murder with you._  
Tyler: _Especially not by text, you do realise cops have permission to read this, right?_  
Jenna: _What? No, I wasn’t plotting murder...._  
Tyler: _I have to go, I don’t want to be arrested._  
He then spent the rest of the evening writing a fanfiction about a guy who killed a girl to get with her boyfriend. As you can tell, this was completely unrelated to the conversation he’d just had with Jenna.  
\---  
Josh had gone to Brendon’s house right after school, they were supposed to be working together on their music project (which was literally just to write a song), but they’d ended up talking the whole evening regardless.

“I was thinking of asking Debby to prom.” Josh said, nervously.

“Dude, it’s January.” Brendon replied.

“I know, but if I leave it any later, she’ll be expecting it.”

“She’s your girlfriend, of course she’s expecting it.”

“Pfft, you know what I mean.” Josh said flippantly, waving his hand as he did so.

After a slight pause, Brendon said, “Well, you’d better make it awesome.”

“What were you thinking?” Josh asked.

“I have a number of options: Boombox outside the bedroom window, interrupting class, interrupting assembly or proposal-style at the end of a date.” He said, counting the options on his fingers.

“Well, I’m not interrupting class or assembly, so check those off the list.”

“What? Those were my favourites, I was gonna ask Ryan to prom with one of those.”

“And boombox outside the window is a little too... chick flick...” Josh said, “Besides, I don’t want to wake her family up.”

“Okay, so date it is.” Brendon then opened up a notebook, writing at the top of an empty page: _Josh’s promposal._

\---

Josh decided that the date would consist of going to the best restaurant he could afford (which, as it turns out, was Taco Bell), then going to the park and hanging out  
until sunset, which is when he would ‘prompose’ (to use Brendon’s word for it).

Debby agreed to come on a date with him on Friday evening, and the plan was in action.

\---

Josh drove to Debby’s house for 6:00pm on Friday, and she jogged out in a black and pink chiffon dress and a dark blue coat, before jumping into the passenger seat  
of his parents’ car, which he was driving.

“So, Mr Mysterious, where are we going?” She asked.

“Not telling you.” He said, living up to his nickname.

They drove in silence, except for the radio, which was playing some sort of indie music with lots of swear words (which didn’t narrow it down very much. Josh silently wished he could find an indie band that didn’t use swear words, and that his parents hadn’t shown him as an alternative to a band that does). Debby very smoothly held his hand when it reached the gear stick, which earned her a loving glance _(see? This is how he knows he’s straight. He’s so obviously attracted to her. There’s no dispute. But...his kiss with Brendon...No. He’s straight. That’s the end of it.)_

When they reached the drive thru, Debby burst into laughter.

“ _What?_ ” Josh asked sarcastically.

“Okay, I’m sorry. This is a date.” She tried to keep a straight face and failed, making Josh laugh too. By the time they were at the front of the queue, they could barely speak to place their order from all the laughter, but somehow the person on the other end of the line seemed to understand them and they got what they wanted.

Josh then drove to the nearby park and they sat on a picnic bench trying to eat their food without spilling it on themselves. The park was almost completely empty because it was winter; once they were done eating, they played on the swings for a bit. Josh jumped off and caught Debby as she did the same. They were laughing hysterically, and the next thing they knew, they were kissing in the centre of the park, the sun setting behind them. 

Josh pulled away, still smiling, “Debby Ryan,” He said, “Will you go to prom with me?”

She somehow smiled even more, “Of course I will.” Then they were kissing again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's so sad that this is the longest chapter I've done yet, and it's only 897 words long (including syntax).


	5. Bittersweet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one was pretty fun to write actually. Also if you get the Degrassi reference in this, I love you.

Ryan was not in a good mood.

First, Brendon had cheated on him, forcing Ryan to break up with him. Then, for the English poetry assignment, Brendon had written a lovely little poem about Ryan that went like this:

_Roses are red_  
Violets are blue  
This assignment sucks  
Ryan also sucks 

Then, to top it all off, Debby had asked Ryan why Brendon was mad at him, and he _couldn’t_ tell her for the sake of her relationship with Josh.

Two hours later, as Ryan was walking home, he decided to tell her anyway. To hell with Josh and fuck Brendon. Ryan was bitter, and he wanted it to show.

No sooner had he walked through the door than he was storming up the stairs to get to his laptop.

He logged on and opened up facebook to friend Debby so he could talk to her. She accepted almost immediately.

_Debby Ryan: Wait why aren’t we already friends?_

_Ryan Ross: Dunno_

_Ryan Ross_ has changed his nickname to _Ryro._

_Ryro: So you want to know what stick is up Brendon’s ass?_

_Debby Ryan_ has changed her nickname to _The Debster._

_The Debster: You mean why did he make that poem about you sucking? (No innuendo intended)_

_Ryro: Yes (I know, not like that)_

_The Debster: Then yes, please tell me what’s going on_

_Ryro: We broke up_

_The Debster: I know that, but why?_

_Ryro: I shouldn’t say_

_The Debster: Come on, you can’t say that much and not tell me_

_Ryro: He cheated_

_The Debster: Really? That sucks. Who with ?_

Ryan hesitated again. He’d already promised Josh that he wouldn’t say, but he couldn’t not tell Debby, at this point, it would practically be lying to her. He resolved to tell her. 

_Ryro: Josh._

_The Debster: WHAt?_

Ryan agonised over the three grey dots flickering over the screen, awaiting her response. 

_The Debster: I’m sorry Ryan I’m gonna have to go. I’ll see you tomorrow, though, okay?_

_Ryro: Sure_

And it was done. Ryan had betrayed Josh. 

_\---_

Conversely, Josh was in a great mood. 

Already today, he’d managed to get an extension on his homework from sheer people skills (i.e. Being able to convince the teacher to give him just one more day, and it won’t happen again), and the kid who sat behind him (Tony? Thomas? Tallulah?) in Maths had complimented his new pink hair (granted, he was given a very stern glare from his friend (Judy? Joanna? Jonathan?), which Josh sensed he wasn’t supposed to notice), then he’d spent a solid ten minutes making out with his girlfriend under some stairs (see? Straight). 

But all that was destroyed when he was sent a text from Debby asking if they could meet. 

Now he was standing by the bridge in the nearby forest, thinking about what he could’ve done differently that night at the party. 

_I could’ve pulled away. Why didn’t I pull away?_

His stomach lifted when he saw her, but then plummeted even further when he remembered why they were there. 

“Hey.” She said, pulling him into an unenthusiastic hug. “So listen. Ryan told me something about why he broke up with Brendon, and I want you to tell me if it’s true or not.” 

“It’s true.” Josh said without hesitating, not wanting to lie to her. 

“You kissed Brendon?” She asked disbelievingly. 

“He kissed me.” He corrected. 

“Okay.” She accepted, “Did you kiss him back?” 

He paused a little before answering, “I...think so.” 

“Okay, Josh.” Debby sighed, bringing him back into the hug. 

“Babe, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean for it to happen. He kissed me, I was drunk, so I kissed back, it’s not like I enjoyed it or anythi-” 

“Josh, sweetie.” She interrupted. 

“Yeah?” 

“I don’t care about the kiss.” 

“Really?” 

“No. What I care about is that you didn’t tell me for. Two. Weeks.” She said. 

“I... Thought you’d be mad about the kiss and want to break up with me.” 

“Well, you were right about one of those.” She said, before kissing his cheek and walking away, stuffing her pink hands into her coat pockets as she went. 

Josh was confused by what she meant at first, but soon realised she’d broken up with him. 

This suspicion was confirmed when he got home and noticed that they were ‘No longer in a relationship’ according to all the social media sites they both had accounts on. 

_Crap._


	6. Boys/Girls/Boys

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took me a while to write because it's so long.

Josh quickly grabbed for his phone, taking his glove off his hand with his teeth while typing in the passcode- Debby’s birthday- then went to contacts and selected Ryan’s number.

“Sup.” Ryan said after a few seconds of ringing.

“Don’t ‘sup’ me.” Said Josh, “What did you tell Debby?”

“Only the truth.”

“I can’t believe you.” Josh sighed. “How could you do that to me? We were friends, Ry.”

“You think friends go around kissing each others’ boyfriends?” Ryan asked.

“So what? This was revenge?”

“All I did was tell her the truth. She deserves to know, she’s your girlfriend.”

“Not anymore, she’s not.” Josh was almost tearing up, so he started to walk back to his house.

“She broke up with you?” Ryan sounded surprisingly, well, surprised, “Look, I... didn’t mean for that to happen. I just thought-”

“I know.” He interrupted. “It’s fine.”

“Are you sure?” Ryan said, “You don’t sound fine.”

“Ryan I’m fine, okay?” Josh sniffled and rubbed his nose. He was almost home now anyway.

“Okay, I’ll see you at school, yeah?” 

“Yeah, bye.” Josh abruptly hung up and walked inside, quickly shedding his coat and boots before heading back to his room to watch some rom-coms that reminded him of Debby.

\---

Tyler had seen the social media sites. He had heard the news, and, though he knew it was wrong, he was overjoyed.

And, lucky for him, his parents were away this weekend, so (after Jenna had recommended it) he decided to throw a party.

No sooner had he got into school, than he started handing out flyers for the party. He had cleverly excluded his name from the leaflet so Josh wouldn’t know he was trying this hard. By lunch, he had heard 8 people talking about wanting to go. By the time the day’s last lesson had ended, he’d heard about 30.

He also looked on people’s social media accounts to see if they were coming. That brought it to around 50, which was pretty much the maximum amount of people he wanted to attend, for the sake of his Saturday morning self.

Most importantly, he’d heard Brendon and Josh talking about it in Maths class, which meant his plan had worked.

He’d also managed to convince some of the seniors with fake IDs to get him some beer and cider for the party, so he wouldn’t disappoint 50 people and become the least popular person in the year group.

\---

By the time Friday came around, Josh could sense a new sort of energy in the school, or at least the two classes of people he’d regularly come into contact with.

He’d agreed to come to the party with Brendon on one condition- that they wouldn’t kiss again, and Brendon had jokingly-sullenly agreed.

The two walked to the party in much the same way they had to the other party a month ago, except this time they didn’t have Ryan, so the weight of the two six-packs of beer were shared between the two boys.

They walked in and, as they opened the door, the music suddenly shot up in volume. Unlike at the last party, the music was mostly guitar, rather than synths, which Josh thought was quite telling of whoever lived there.

As with the last party, there was a table for drinks and snacks, so the boys made a B-line for that and placed the beer on the table in unison. They then opened up one of the packets and took one each, clinking them against each other before both taking a swig.

“Excuse me.” Said a girl with Cruella De Ville style hair who was trying to get to the table. The boys moved out of the way as she got what she wanted and thanked them. They then decided to move to the couch so this wouldn’t happen again.

The two started a conversation about something or other, then someone came behind them and said, “Yo.” Brendon snapped his head around so fast they almost banged heads and saw the guy who sat behind them in Maths class- Tyler?

“Yo?” Josh replied.

“I like your shirt.” Josh looked down and saw that he was wearing his Red Bull shirt.  
“You like Red Bull, huh?” He laughed.

Brendon nudged Josh and said, “Patrick’s over there, we were gonna talk about our project real quick before next lesson, and he’s busy all weekend. You don’t mind if I go now?”

“No that’s fine.” He replied. Tyler took Brendon’s seat when he stood up and Josh noticed the cider bottle in his hand, he suspected it wasn’t his first.

Tyler and Josh talked for about half an hour or so before Josh realised he needed the toilet. Tyler said he’d show him where it was and took him to the upstairs one. 

Because Josh was drunk (and facing the other way), he didn’t realise Tyler had walked into the bathroom as he shut the door.

When Josh spun around, his face was inches away from Tyler’s, they were looking into each other’s eyes for about a minute before Josh said, “I need to wash my hands.”

He turned to the sink and washed and dried his hands, Tyler still staring at the back of his head, speechless.

When Josh faced him again, he was smiling, “I kind of promised my friend this wouldn’t happen.”

“What wouldn’t happen?”

“This.” Josh said, before grabbing Tyler’s face and pulling it towards his. When their lips touched, little sparks seemed to go off in Josh’s head, accompanied by a sort of _ding_ sound and a flashing lightbulb. _So not straight_ he thought to himself.

He let go of Tyler’s face and his hands crept down his back and to his waist. Tyler’s hands went from in the air at his sides, to Josh’s massive biceps, gripping at his baggy shirt sleeves. 

There was a knock at the door, “Excuse me? I need to use the bathroom.” Said a slurred voice from the other side.

Josh looked down at Tyler, “Shall we move this somewhere else?” He asked. Tyler simply nodded in response, taking Josh by the hand to someone’s bedroom- probably whoever’s party this was- where they resumed their make-out session on the bed after Tyler had shut and locked the door.

“Hi.” He said, straddling Josh as he sat on his knee.

“Hey.” Josh replied before leaning forward to close the gap between their lips. Before long, Tyler opened his mouth wider again, allowing Josh’s tongue access. Their inebriated selves didn’t care when their teeth bashed into each other, or when one person bit the other.

Josh had no idea when, but at some point, they had ended up in just their underwear, lying down on the bed on their sides, both feeling each other’s backs and thighs as their kiss continued.

And that was all Josh remembered in the morning.


	7. Kitchen Sink

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally finished this chapter. Sorry, I could only write like 200 words a day because of homework, etc. and I had absolutely no idea where this chapter was going when I started it. It's pretty long, though, so just be thankful; my tmi fic doesn't get nearly (witches) as much attention.

Tyler woke up with a start.

For a split second he thought he was somewhere else, but soon realised he was in his room.

What was different then?

Ah yes, there was someone holding him, he could feel their steady breathing.

_In._

_Out._

They were asleep.

Tyler tried to grab his phone without waking this person up so he could text Jenna.

_Tyler: Help!_

Within seconds, she replied.

_Jenna: What's up?_

_Tyler: There's someone in my bed and I don't know who it is._

_Jenna: Daaaaamn, Tyler got lucky last night!_

_Tyler: What? No I didn't!_

_Jenna: Does your ass hurt_

_Tyler: It might..._

_Jenna: Ohmygod you're a bottom_

_Tyler: Keep it PG._

_Tyler: But what should I do?_

_Jenna: Is it Josh? Tell me it's Josh_

_Tyler: I can't see. They've got their arm around me_

_Jenna: Unless there's more than one of them, you need to stop saying 'they'. You know it's a guy, and it's probably  
Josh._

_Jenna: Also that's really cute_

Just at that moment, Tyler felt Josh stir underneath him, so he put down his phone and pretended to be asleep.

\---

Josh had felt something move under his arm and sneaked a peak to see the kid who sat behind him in Maths discreetly texting someone, but Josh couldn't see the words. He decided to grab his phone, too, considering he was pretty damn startled to be in someone else's bed, especially considering that that someone was a guy.

As he pulled it out of his pocket (from his jacket which was on the bed behind him), he noticed Tyler (or at least that's what he thought his name was- gees, that's not good, if you think about what probably happened between them) put down his phone and lie unnaturally still.

Josh noticed all the missed calls from Brendon and texted him:

_Josh: Sorry I lost you last night. I'll explain when I work out what happened myself._

Brendon replied a minute or so later, in which time, Josh flicked through his photos to see if he could get any clues about last night. All he saw were a few blurry selfies with Tyler and him, and some pictures of the floor. He deleted the ones he didn't like but kept the others.

_Brendon: Yeah, wtf dude?_

_Josh: Sorry I have no idea what happened._

_Brendon: Someone told me they saw you holding hands with that Tyler guy and then you went into one of the bedrooms_

_Josh: Shit I remember that_

_Brendon: So much for being straight wtf_

_Josh: Sorry dude it must have been the alcohol_

_Brendon: Oh please it doesn't work like that_

_Brendon: Can we have this conversation in person? Where are you?_

Josh didn't know what to say. He didn't want to tell him he was in a guy’s room, naked, not after Brendon had said "If  
you change your mind..." But he also didn't want to lie to his best friend of 6 years. He decided to tell the truth, or at least, a part-truth.

_Josh: I'm still at the house, I slept on the couch._

_Brendon: No you didn't, I did. Why did you lie?_

Josh didn't reply; he had no idea what to say.

_Brendon: Holy shit did you fuck him!?_

_Josh: I think so._

_Brendon: Why didn't you tell me you like guys?_

_Josh: I didn't know. I still don't know if I do._

_Brendon: We need to talk. Come to the kitchen. Now._

Josh decided to do as he said. It was the least he could do, considering he'd been keeping his questioning a secret.

He slid out from under Tyler and crept to the door, getting dressed as he did so. He only half noticed Tyler sitting up in his bed as he unlocked the door and left.

When he got to the kitchen Brendon immediately strode toward him, angrily whispering, "What the fuck was that?"

"What was what?" Josh replied, bewildered by how angry Brendon could be that he'd been with a guy, considering that he was gay himself.

"Why would you lie to me?"

"I'm sorry if I didn't think it was vital that you knew I slept in someone else's bed last night."

"It's not where you slept. I mean why would you lie to me about-"

"Liking guys!?" Josh interrupted, momentarily faltering with his whispering. He couldn't believe Brendon would take it like this.

"Yes." Brendon became quiet again.

"What's wrong with me liking guys?"

Brendon paused, "Because you don't like me."

Josh sighed at Brendon's response. It all made sense now. The sleepovers, the closeness, the kiss. No wonder Brendon developed a crush. And yet Josh didn't reciprocate.

That's why Brendon was so mad right now.

He had to do something to mend the friendship, and fast.

But before he could, Brendon stopped his thoughts by saying, “So that’s how it’s going to be, huh?” He turned towards the door, bashing into Tyler on the way out with a quiet, “Fuck you.”

“Bren, wait.” Josh tried to say, but he completely ignored him.

“What was up with him?” Tyler said by way of greeting.

Josh didn’t know how to answer, he just said, “Nothing either of us can help.”

Tyler sighed and leaned against the work surface next to the sink. “Hey, do you...have any idea what happened last night, you know, between us?”

Josh shook his head. “Only a guess.”

“Thought as much.”

Josh decided to stand next to Tyler before he said what he said next. “Does your ass hurt?” He whispered.

Tyler cracked up at that before nodding and quietly saying, “Yeah, it does.” He paused, “Does yours?”

“A little, yeah.” Josh laughed.

He absentmindedly held Tyler’s hand in the moratorium that followed, lacing their fingers together.

“Do you...” Josh said, “Do you normally like...guys?”

Tyler shook his head, “It’s just been you.” He said, “I never liked girls though. Not like...that.”

Josh hummed in recognition, “I didn’t know I could like guys. I thought I’d’ve worked it out by now. But...” his eyes flickered to Tyler’s lips, “I think I might like you. Like that.”

Josh couldn’t resist any longer, he leaned down and pressed their lips together. The kiss was sweet and slow, not like last night, and to Josh’s surprise, Tyler reciprocated. It made Josh feel an emotion he hadn’t felt in a while with Debby. He didn’t know what to call it. Love? Lust? Wanting? He didn’t know. He just knew that he liked it, and that he wanted more.

Just as he was about to reach out his other hand to Tyler's face, he heard a cough behind him.

“Just the alcohol, huh, Josh?” It was Brendon.

“Brendon, I...” Josh tried to say, he pulled away while still holding hands with Tyler, but more for moral support than for romance.

“You know what? Save it. I don’t need this from you anymore. This friendship? It’s over.” Brendon picked up his jacket from the other side of the kitchen- probably the reason he came back- and stormed out.

“I’m sorry about that.” Josh said to Tyler after the door had shut again, and they got back to what they were doing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Controversial topic there, I hope you appreciate that I had to make a decision, and my friend disagreed with me on this topic, but said it's my fic so I can make whatever decisions I want with it.


	8. Hallelujah

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a bit short but 2 updates in one week

After Brendon left, he immediately went to the bus stop and took the first bus he could. The one to Ryan's.

He hadn't been thinking when he'd made this decision, he just went where his feet took him. And they took him there.

He stepped off the bus and walked the rest of the way to Ryan's house. When he got there, he answered the door, and to his surprise, Ryan answered.

When Brendon saw him, he couldn't think straight (literally), and before he could start to tell Ryan why he was there, Ryan invited him inside.

Brendon sat at the table in the kitchen telling Ryan what had happened while Ryan poured them both drinks.

"I'm sorry things had to end like that with us," He finished, "I don't know what's wrong with me lately."

"It's okay." Ryan said, sitting down in the seat next to him. "I get it."

"You do?" Brendon asked.

Ryan nodded in response. "I think I'm over it. I...forgive you."

In the silence that followed, Brendon lay his hand on the table as an invitation, and Ryan complied.

They were _holding hands._

Brendon leaned sideways towards Ryan, and when his head met Ryan's shoulder, he moved his hand from Ryan's hand to Ryan's waist. When Ryan brought his other hand to Brendon's back, they sat there for a while, just listening to the sounds of each other's breathing.

After a short while, Ryan said, "I missed you."

Brendon lifted his face from Ryan's shoulder to further close the gap between them.

They kissed, and everything was back to how it used to be.

Brendon moved his hand to Ryan's thigh, gently massaging it as their kiss deepened.

Ryan gripped the back of Brendon's head, pushing it closer to him so he couldn't pull away, even if he wanted to.

Their teeth bashed against each other in the desperation of their long-awaited kiss, but neither of them cared. They wanted this back, and didn't care what it would take.

Ryan pulled away slightly so he could mumble, "D'you wanna take this upstairs?" Against Brendon's lips.

Brendon replied by standing up, lips still pressed to Ryan's, pulling him towards the stairs by his head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My friend wanted me to put, "Then they fucked each other. And Ryan gave birth to Satan. The end." at the end but I thought that might ruin the plot so I decided not to put it in. Also I wasn't going to make ryden get back together but I had to for moral reasons...


	9. I have friends in Holy Spaces

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiya? How's things? I really liked writing this chapter, so I hope you like reading it, I think it's quite funny tbh.

Tyler was buzzing. After cleaning up after the party with Josh, then _not seeing_ Josh all through Sunday because they were both busy, he couldn’t wait to finally see Josh again in school.

He attached his bike to one of the bike stands, then walked up to the main entrance- straight to Josh’s locker, where they had agreed to meet.

Josh was there, smiling to himself as he got what he needed, shut his locker, and turned around the opposite way to where Tyler was, so Tyler walked up to him and said, “Boo.” By his ear. Josh jumped, and turned around so his and Tyler’s faces were an inch apart. Josh quickly flinched away, then covered his smile with the back of his hand, glancing around the hall to see if anyone had seen him.

“What’s wrong?” Tyler questioned.

“Sorry, nothing. Debby was here a minute ago.” He said, trying to grab one of Tyler’s hands. Tyler refused.

“So?”

“I just... don’t want her to see that I’ve, y’know, moved on so fast.” Josh said, “And with a guy...”

“So if I were a girl that would make it all better?” Tyler smiled passive aggressively.

“No. No that’s not what I meant. Look, it’s fine, we can do PDA if that’s what you want.”

“Just not around Debby?”

“I’m sorry, it doesn’t matter. Can we just pretend that didn’t happen?” 

If Tyler was thinking properly, he would’ve said no, but due to his infatuation with Josh, he couldn’t. He nodded in response, then tilted his head up as Josh gently kissed him on the lips.

When they pulled away, they were both smiling, their earlier argument completely forgotten.

\---

Brendon was still mad at Josh, but he was more in love with Ryan, so he thought he’d let it slide. That was until he and Ryan walked into school and saw Josh and that Tyler guy making out by Josh’s locker. 

They pulled away and Brendon noticed Josh’s smile melt into a frown as he noticed Brendon holding hands with Ryan. Tyler turned around to see the cause of his boyfriend’s change in mood and quickly realised what it was.

Brendon turned to Ryan (who had clearly realised what was going on) and kissed him, keeping his eyes open to watch Josh’s reaction. 

To Brendon’s annoyance, Josh simply grabbed Tyler’s hand, and they walked to their first lesson- Maths.

“The fuck?” Ryan said, “You said you were over it.”

“Sorry, just... seeing him with Tyler, it... made me forget that, I guess.”

“Don’t worry about it.” Ryan smiled, “Just... don’t do it again, okay?”

Brendon nodded and quickly kissed Ryan again. 

They heard someone say, “Why are there so many gay people in this school?” Before being shushed by their friends. The couple found this hilarious and laughed hysterically before heading to class.

\---

Jenna was happy for Tyler, she was, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t getting just a little bit jealous at the amount of time he spent with Josh compared to her.

During break, she tried to track him down and, to no one’s surprise, she found them making out on a chair underneath some stairs.

“Hey, Tyler.” She said, but was ignored.

She went over to him and tapped him on the shoulder, “ _Hey Tyler_.”

He finished the kiss by pecking Josh on the lips then stood up. “Hi, Jenna...”

“Hi, Josh. Tyler, can I have a word?” Tyler walked with Jenna to the other side of some doors while Josh got out his phone.

“Sup?” Tyler asked.

“I know you have a boyfriend now, and all, but you can’t just ignore me. Bros before hoes.”

“You’re not my bro. I think there’s a girl version...Sisters before Misters?” Tyler said.

“Tyler?”

“Yeah?”

“Not the point of the conversation.”

“Yeah, I’m sorry, we just got together, you know how it is.” He glanced back at Josh. “You can come hang out with us if you like.”

“Okay. But you guys better not make out the whole time; I’m not being a third wheel.” Jenna said, pushing open the door so they could start to walk back to Josh. 

“Sounds like a plan.” Said Tyler. Josh smiled as he saw them returning. He put away his phone and invited Tyler to sit on his knee, Jenna sat on the chair next to them.

Tyler gave Josh a look that seemed to say something like _be nice to her, she's my friend._

"Hi...Jenna?" Josh asked, Jenna nodded.

"Hey, Josh."

This started a conversation between the two that lasted for pretty much the duration of break.

All three of them had a lesson next, however, so they decided to resume the interaction afterwards in the canteen.

\---

When Tyler arrived at his and Jenna's usual table, he was pleased to see his best friend and his boyfriend getting along. 

He had secretly dreaded them meeting, thinking they might not get along, but it seemed his worrying was unfounded.

"... and that's why Jesus would beat a polar bear in a fight." Jenna resolved, making Tyler giggle.

"What's happening?" Tyler asked.

"I was just explaining to Josh here that if there were a fight between Jesus and a polar bear, Jesus would win." She replied, dipping a chip in ketchup.

"Why would Jesus fight a polar bear? He'd sooner die than kill something- even in self-defence." Tyler questioned. 

"It's hypothetical." She said. "Maybe God told him to do it."

"Dude that would never happen."

" _Dude,_ ," She said in a mocking accent, "I never said it would."

Tyler was aware that it sounded to Josh like they were arguing, so he told him that this behaviour was normal for them. 

Josh nodded and took another bite from his sandwich.

Tyler had to admit, he was glad they were getting along so well, better than he'd hoped, actually. He laced his fingers with Josh's as they continued eating, and Jenna smiled at them while eating another chip.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> D'ya notice the Outnumbered reference?


	10. Lovely

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So excited about posting this chapter!!! (Also I'm sorry for the amount of ellipsis in this.)

Tyler was at Josh's house for the eighth time this week, "studying."

They'd gotten into a sort of routine of it; Tyler would come to Josh's house (because it was closer to school) whenever they had a free period at the same time.

This time, though, they had actually intended to study, what with all the in-class tests the teachers had promised, but when Josh saw the way Tyler slightly bit his lip when he was reading, he found Tyler too irresistible to stop himself.

Soon Tyler was lying flat on the bed, Josh hovering over him, gently kissing his lips, his jaw line, his ear.

They heard a creak at the door and barely had two seconds to get back to their sitting positions with their textbooks on their laps. Clearly, they hadn't managed.

"What's going on guys?" Said Josh's sister.

"Oh um, just, y'know, studying." Said Josh.

"Yeah right. I saw you." She said, walking towards them as Tyler and Josh exchanged a look, "What's the hat for?" She then picked the hat up off Josh's textbook and placed it on his head.

"Why are you here, Ashley?" Tyler asked bluntly.

"Mum told me to tell you dinner's ready." She answered, "Are you staying, Tyler?"

"No, I think I'll go." He picked up his bag and textbook and walked towards the door.

"Ty, come on, you don't have to go." Josh called after him, but he knew it was in vain.

"You know as far as pet names go, 'Ty' isn't very imaginative." Ashley stood up and scanned through some of Josh's books. "Since when were you gay?"

"I'm not."

"I literally just saw you kissing a dude. Was Debby really _that bad?_ " She flicked through a John Green book, then replaced it before sitting down next to Josh on the bed.

"That's not how it works. I'm just bisexual, or possibly pansexual, I'm not 100% sure on the difference yet, but I think for now I'll go with bi."

"Are you gonna come out to Mum and Dad?"

"Not now, but yeah, soon, I guess." He said before standing up. "Now if this interrogation is over, I'm hungry."

"Same." She said before speeding in front of him and galloping down the stairs.

\---

After dinner, Josh picked up his phone and called Tyler.

“Hey.” Tyler said after he saw Josh’s name on the phone.

“Hey, Ty, are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m okay, I just... it was a bit awkward, y’know?”

“Yeah, I know. Ashley can be a bit...err...forward...” Josh lay down on the bed.

They talked until about midnight, at which point they decided to go to bed, their yawns making their words indistinguishable.

“Goodnight Josh.” Tyler yawned.

“Night Tyler.” Josh said, pausing a little before saying, “I love you.”

Tyler faltered, “I... love you too, Josh.”

Josh chuckled, “Goodnight Tyler.” He then silently waited for Tyler to hang up, then went to sleep.

\---

The next day, Josh woke up smiling, thinking of Tyler, despite his jarringly repetitive alarm.

When he got to school, he immediately went to his locker, where he would normally meet Tyler, but Tyler was already there.

“Hey, Tyler.” Josh beamed as he walked towards his boyfriend, bringing him into a hug when they got near enough. When they let go, Tyler stood on his tiptoes and brought their lips together, smiling as they pulled away.

“Hey, Josh.” Tyler giggled as he stood out of the way for Josh to use his locker.

“Hi, guys.” Said Jenna, leaning on the locker next to Josh’s. “Is it just me or are you two...happier?”

The couple looked at each other, their grins somehow becoming even wider.

“What?” Jenna laughed nervously.

“Should we tell her?” Josh asked Tyler.

“Can I say it?” Tyler replied, to which Josh nodded. “We said 'I love you' last night.”

Jenna made a noise someone might say at a puppy before pulling them into a hug. “You guys are so cute sometimes.”

She then wrapped her arm around Tyler’s shoulder while Josh wrapped his arm around his waist, and they headed off to class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, I had to edit that a bit. Also I forgot to mention: double figures!!!


	11. Message Man

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Soso sorry for the late update. College was getting really busy, then it was the holidays and all I could do was sit at home and vegetate, then... well this week I have no excuse, but anyway, I'm sorry for the late update, and also the weird layout of this chapter. ANYWAY enjoy x)

Though Brendon missed Josh, he was enjoying his time with Ryan more. With no other close friends to think about, they had spent the entire week thinking only of each other (in terms of people- school, however, was getting pretty stressful, considering they were halfway through their senior year).

When they walked into their first lesson on Friday (form), they saw Josh where he usually sat, with his boyfriend Tyler next to him. They seemed engrossed in their conversation, smiling at each other admiringly. Ryan glanced at Brendon and held his hand in support, lacing their fingers as they sat at the opposite side of the room from them.

The teacher walked in and started talking about notices, and came onto the subject of prom. “If anyone’s interested, couples can still enter to be prom king and queen- or queen and queen, or king and king.” When he said the last part, he looked (fairly conspicuously) at Josh and Tyler, then at Ryan and Brendon. 

Both pairs exchanged a look at each other, then at the other two, simultaneously deciding to enter, even if just for the “friendly” competition.

The teacher let them leave early since there was nothing else to do in form, so Ryan and Brendon decided to go to the library to see if they could get a computer, unsubtly being followed by Josh and Tyler. Ryan logged on as Brendon pulled up a chair so he could watch what was happening. 

Ryan opened up the website that let them apply and entered their names. It took painfully long for the computer to load, and Brendon noticed that Josh and Tyler’s computer was now logged on. When it eventually loaded, Ryan rushed to type in all the details needed, with Brendon helping him with some parts, then pressed enter. While they waited again for it to load, Brendon took Ryan’s hand and placed it on his knee, bouncing it slightly while Ryan smiled at him.

The page finished loading and Brendon saw several couples’ names on there, including his and Ryan’s (as well as Tyler and Josh’s), when they saw their names on there, they quickly kissed before logging off and leaving the library.

\---

Josh had been thinking about Brendon a lot recently. Not in a ‘crush’ way, of course- he was happy with Tyler- but he had to admit, he missed their friendship a lot. Until he became Tyler’s boyfriend, he hadn’t really made many friends in high school other than Brendon, Ryan and Debbie. Obviously, Debbie was off the table, and Ryan and Brendon came as a set, like a knife and fork, so he had to re-befriend Brendon if he wanted someone to talk to.

So he resolved to make peace with Brendon no matter what happened with the whole ‘prom king’ thing because, whether he wanted to admit it or not, Josh loved Brendon (and I’m not being sarcastic here: platonically), so it would be awful if they let a petty fight get between them like it seems to have done.

\---

_5:26pm_

_Jishwa: Hey_

_Tyleretta: Hi_

_Tyleretta: Sup?_

_Jishwa: I miss you_

_Tyleretta: You saw me an hour ago..._

_Jishwa: I know but still_

_Tyleretta: Well I miss you too xx_

_Jishwa: I love you_

_Tyleretta: I know_

_5:28pm_

_Jishwa: You were supposed to say it back_

_Tyleretta: I’m sorry_

_Jishwa: I forgive you_

_Tyleretta: I love another_

_Jishwa: tf??????_

_Tyleretta: My dog xD_

_Jishwa: Haha you got me_

_Jishwa: But seriously don’t do that again okay?_

_Tyleretta: Okay_

_Jishwa: MAYBE OKAY_

_Tyleretta: DON’T SAY IT_

_Jishwa: WILL BE OUR ALWAYS_

_Tyleretta: That’s it we’re breaking up_

_Jishwa: You’re mean_

_Tyleretta: Sorry I love you really, do you forgive me?_

_Jishwa: You'd have to do something pretty bad for me not to forgive you_

_Tyleretta: Like what?_

_Jishwa: Like..._

_Tyleretta: Murder?_

_Jishwa: No 1’d h3lp 70\/ d15p053 0f th3 b0d7_

_Tyleretta: Why did you type like that?_

_Jishwa: In case the government is spying on us_

_Tyleretta: Pretty sure they’re not_

_Jishwa: That’s what Mardge thought in the Simpson’s movie_

_Tyleretta: Pretty sure that word doesn’t have a D_

_Jishwa: You keep correcting my grammar and Marge’s name won’t be the only one without a D_

_Tyleretta: Joshhhhhhh that was a bad joke_

_Jishwa: Tylerrrrrrrrr idc_

_Tyleretta: Fuck you_

_Jishwa: You wish_

_Tyleretta: But we already did???? It was kind of how we met?????_

_Jishwa: Very true_

_Jishwa: Hey we should do that again sometime_

_Tyleretta: Bruh_

_Jishwa: Did you just???? Bruh me??? When we were talking about sex????_

_Tyleretta: Yes Josh I have something to tell you_

_Jishwa: What?_

_Tyleretta: You’re like a brother to me_

_Jishwa: ffs_

_Tyleretta: Oshit I have to go._

_Tyleretta: I love you_

_Jishwa: Love you too_

\---

“Your conversations are hilarious.” Jenna laughed, skimming through Tyler’s texts with Josh from the previous night while she sat with Tyler at break (Josh was running an errand so he couldn’t sit with them today like he normally would).

“Yeah, that’s why I’m showing them to you.” Tyler said, “Also...”

“What?”

“Do you think, that part at the end, where Josh was like ‘We should do that again sometime.’ Do you think he wants us to...” He trailed off again.

“Wait, you haven’t been?” Jenna seemed genuinely shocked at this.

“No, not except for the first time at the party.” Tyler said to the floor, “Why? Do you think we should have been?”

“He’s your boyfriend; duh.” Jenna said, but when she saw Tyler’s worried expression, “But only if that’s what you want to do- Josh won’t force you to do anything.”

Tyler nodded, slightly at first, but then it grew to an almost exaggerated nod, complete with a grin, “I think... I do.”

“Awesome. Do you want help organising a date or something?” Jenna said, handing Tyler his phone back.

“No, I have...ideas...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you like the 'messaging style' in the middle there, I could do a separate fic for stuff like that if you want. Also, if you think I should write a smutty chapter, tell me, because I was debating whether or not to do smut earlier in this fic but I thought it might be awkward because my fren reads this- but what the hell? I could do that! Anyways write a comment to tell me your thoughts because I'd really love to hear them.


	12. Truce

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, I'm finally back. Sorry for the wait...again...

“I’m thinking of coming out to my family.” Said Josh on the walk home one day.

Tyler’s eyes darted from their feet to Josh’s face, “Really?”

Josh nodded, “Obviously Ashley knows, and I don’t want her to tell everyone before I do. But it’s not just that. I... want them to know about you.”

After a pause, Tyler said, “How were you thinking of doing it?”

“I was thinking of inviting you to dinner at my house, and then when you got there, instead of saying you were my friend, I’d say you were my boyfriend.”

Tyler beamed at Josh before kissing him on the cheek. “Well there’s something I wanted to talk to you about too.” He said in Josh’s ear in a voice that some might consider inappropriate to use on the street, even an empty street and in a quiet voice.

“What’s that, then?” Josh said, though he obviously got the hint.

“I was thinking of recreating the night we met, only... sober?” He smiled suggestively at the last part, his smile becoming even wider when Josh moved his hand from Tyler’s hand to his waist.

“Okay? When would this happen?” 

“Well... This weekend my parents are away for some convention thing?” Tyler suggested.

“Let’s have dinner with my parents after that, or they might not let me go.” Josh said.

“Is that a yes?” Tyler looked back at Josh, who nodded, smiling warmly.

“Let’s do it.” Josh said, before pausing, “No pun intended...”

\---

“Not again.” Jenna said as she walked towards Josh’s locker the next morning.

“What?” Josh and Tyler, sickeningly, said in unison.

“What’s with the smiling? And the speaking in unison?” She asked.

Josh shot Tyler a look that said something like _Wait are you actually gonna tell her?_ Tyler responded with a look that said _Why not? She’s my best friend._

“And the mind reading?” Jenna continued, looking baffled at the two boys’ faces. “Oh my God. It’s happened. You two _had sex_?” She whispered the last part, but obviously not quietly enough, because a few other people in the corridor heard, prompting the trio to start awkwardly walking to their first class, even though they still had fifteen minutes until it was supposed to actually start.

“Not yet.” Tyler said, causing Jenna to give the couple a disbelieving look.

“Jesus Christ, what will you two be like afterwards...?”

\---

When Brendon and Ryan got to class, Josh and Tyler were already there.

“How about we sit near them today?” Asked Brendon.

“Okay.” Ryan smiled and kissed Brendon’s cheek before sitting one seat over from Josh, a gap which Brendon filled.

“What are you doing?” Josh said to Brendon after exchanging a confused look with Tyler.

“So I’ve been meaning to talk to you... about... y’know...”

“Okay, good, I’ve been wanting to talk to you too.” Josh replied.

“First, I wanted to say that I’m sorry, and I’ve been missing you in my life. I... couldn’t- _shouldn’t_ have expected you to like me the way I liked you, whether you like guys or not-“

“I do.” He interrupted.

“I know.” Brendon nodded, blinking a few times as though blinking would help to drum that idea in his head. Josh had been his Straight Friend™ until he hooked up with Tyler, after all, so it was bound to take a bit of getting used to that he wasn’t, in fact, straight. “You two are really cute together by the way.”

“We try.” Said Tyler.

“No you don’t, it just happens by default.” Tyler’s friend, Jenna (?) interjected.

“True...” Josh said, gesturing for Brendon to continue.

“And I’m sorry for kissing you when we were both in relationships with other people.” Brendon turned around, “That applies to you, too, Ryan.”

“Thank you.” Ryan resolved.

“So... I see you two got back together?” Josh said.

“Yup.” Brendon linked his and Ryan’s fingers, putting their hands on his desk. “It didn’t take much persuading for him to... _come around_...” Brendon neatened his hair with his other hand as he thought about the day they got back together, and the... events... that had transpired.

Ryan covered up a smirk with his hand as they made eye contact at that.

When Jenna saw that, she said, “Dammit, why can’t I just be a gay guy? Straight guys are such dicks; I don’t wanna be in relationships with them. But you four? I’d date any of you if you swung that way.” She glanced at Josh, who had a slightly concerned expression on his face, “And weren’t in happy relationships... with my best friend...” Josh seemed content with that last part, and nodded.

Most students had gotten there by then, as had the teacher, who interrupted their conversation to talk about something none of them _really_ cared about, because who would after they had just mended things with their best friend?


	13. Boy that you love

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no wifi at home because I just moved house, so, congratulations- new chapter! I'm so happy Brendon and Josh are friends again, all this angst was killing me...

“So, is there anything important I missed when we weren’t talking?” Josh asked Brendon during lunch later that day.

“Well... yes,” Brendon started, but Ryan shot him a glance, “...But it might be...” He coughed, “ _indiscrete_ to say.”

“Moving swiftly on.” Said Jenna, sitting down at their table, a small pot of potato wedges from the school canteen in her hand. “What’s gonna happen with the whole ‘Prom king and king’ thing.”

“Okay so that sentence rhymed way too much.” Said Tyler.

“We could still compete for it, just in more of a friendly way.” Josh suggested, which the group seemed to agree was the best plan of action, “And if we win, that will be cool; and if you win, that will be cool as well.”

“And if neither of us wins?” Asked Ryan.

“Then the school is clearly homophobic because you four make up my two favourite couples.” Jenna shrugged and took a large potato wedge from her little pot.

“You know what, Jenna?” Brendon asked.

“What?”

“I like you.” He said.

“Hey, don’t go cheating on me again!” Ryan joked.

“I’m gay, dude. Gay.” Brendon said.

“And Josh said he was straight, now look at him.” Jenna was right when she said this, because Josh had his arm around Tyler’s shoulder, and their hands were laced together in a surprisingly romantic way- well, I say surprisingly, but, come on, it’s Tyler and Josh, nothing romantic could be a surprise with them.

“Hey!” Josh objected. “Wait that’s actually pretty accurate, nevermind, as you were.”

\---

“Hey, Mum.” Josh said when he got home that evening.

“Yes, honey?”

“Um, so you know how I’m completely free Friday night, and all of Saturday?”

“Yes?” Josh’s mum prompted, closing her laptop.

“Well, Tyler asked if I wanted to sleep over on Friday.”

“Aren’t you a bit old for sleepovers?” She asked, “It’s not a house party is it?”

“Nononono, nothing like that.” He sat down next to her on the sofa. “Brendon’s coming as well, you can ask him.” Josh felt bad lying to his mother, but he knew it had to be done if he was going to do what (or rather _who_ ) he wanted on Friday night.

“No, it’s okay, Josh, I trust you.” She opened her laptop and started logging back on. “And you wouldn’t betray that trust, would you, Josh?”

“Of course not.” He said.

“And, say, if you were to get into a relationship, you would tell me about it straight away, like you did with Debby, right?”

“Did Ashley tell you something?” Josh asked as his stomach sank.

“So you _are_ in a relationship?” Josh’s mum smirked. “Who’s the lucky girl?”

There was a pause. “Can Tyler come for dinner next week?” Josh asked.

“Don’t try to change the subject.”

“I wasn’t.”

Josh’s mum took a moment to process what he said, “What are you saying, Josh?”

He relayed the words in his head _Tyler is my boyfriend. Tyler is my boyfriend. Tyler is my boyfriend._ But all that came out of his mouth was, “Can I tell you later, y'know, when Tyler is here?”

“How about...” Josh’s mum suggested, “Tyler comes to church with us on Sunday?”

“Is that a yes to sleeping at his on Friday as well?” Josh’s face lit up.

“As long as he’s willing to come to church.”

“Well, Tyler is a Christian, so I think he’ll be fine with that.” Josh stood up. “Thanks, Mum.”

“Don’t thank me yet.”

\---  
_  
8:32_

_Jishwa: My mum said that if I want to sleep at yours on Friday, you have to come to church with us on Sunday._

_8:39_

_Tyleretta: Well, I go to church anyway, so why not?_

_Jishwa: Yeah, that’s what I thought you’d say_

_Tyleretta: Okay Mr Psychic_

_Jishwa: That’s Sir to you_

_Tyleretta: Links_

_Jishwa: What?_

_Tyleretta: Kinky* sorry, autocorrect_

_Jishwa: I was so confused_

_Tyleretta: Living up to the stereotype_

_Jishwa: Oh right, of course, bisexuals are just confused, har-dee-har_

_Tyleretta: I meant the stereotype that blondes are dumb but okay_

_Jishwa:????I’m???? Not even??? Blonde???????_

_Tyleretta: I believe you_

_Tyleretta: With all those question marks_

_Jishwa: So that’s a ‘no’ to church, then?_

_Tyleretta: Okay fine, I’m kidding, you’re smart, and don’t have blonde hair etc._

_Jishwa: And?_

_Tyleretta: And bisexual but not confused_

_Jishwa: Thank you_

_Tyleretta: Usually_

_Jishwa: True_

_8:46_

_Tyleretta: I love you sometimes_

_Jishwa: Only sometimes?_

_Tyleretta: All the time_

_Tyleretta: But some times more than other times._

_Jishwa: Aww, I love you too <3_

_Tyleretta: Way to cheese it up_

_Jishwa: □_

_Tyleretta: What’s that supposed to be? I’m on my laptop_

_Jishwa: Ew why?_

_Jishwa: Also it was a cheese emoji_

_Tyleretta: Because my phone is all the way in my bag, and my laptop was just here_

_Jishwa: Oh okay_

_Jishwa: For the record, I realllly love you_

_Tyleretta: Eww clingie_

_Jishwa: Seriously? You could at least spell clingy right_

_Tyleretta: I’m kidding I love you too_  
  
\---

It was finally Friday. Tyler’s parents were leaving in the afternoon for their ‘convention thing’, and Josh’s mum had decided to let him sleep at Tyler’s, given proof that he was willing to go to church with them (i.e. a phone call from Tyler). It was finally going to happen. They were gonna have sex- real, planned, ‘I love you’, sex.

“You two might not actually be virgins, but you sure do act like you are.” Brendon commented on Josh and Tyler’s very obvious excitement.

“Shut up, Brendon.” They both said in unison, then giggled at how connected they are (or rather, how connected they _will be_ ;))))))) [A/N: I'm so sorry for that joke. So, so sorry...]

Ryan mimed vomiting, eliciting a raucous laugh from his boyfriend.

“Now, now, boys.” Jenna said in her ‘mother’ voice as she walked in, “Don’t tease your friends, okay?”

“Yes, Mum.” Brendon said, clearly understanding that her tone was both joking, and completely sincere.

“So what’s up?” She said as she sat down. 

“Their dicks, apparently.” Ryan said, then gave Brendon a fist bump without looking at him.

“Ahh, so it’s tonight, huh?” She asked.

“Yeah, it’s tonight, but can we change the subject, please?” Tyler said, “It’s not that it isn’t practically all I’m thinking about-“

“Aww, babe.” Josh interrupted, quickly kissing Tyler on the cheek.

“But there are better things to talk about in school.” Tyler finished.

“How about this: Has Josh told his parents about Tyler yet?” Brendon asked.

“No, but he’s coming for dinner next week, and I was thinking of telling them then.” Josh said.

“Or at church.” Tyler joked.

“Wait, you’re going to church together?” 

“Just for this Sunday.” Josh said, “We normally go to different churches, and it can be awkward to change them, especially since our families would want to stick with the same church, etcetera. Basically, it just makes more sense to stay with the same churches for now.”

“But... church?” Brendon asked.

“Yeah, so?” Josh said, “Oh. You think just because we like guys we can’t also be religious. Of course.”

“That’s not what I meant.”

“What did you mean?” Josh asked.

“It’s just a bit ironic that you’re going to church together the same weekend that you’re gonna...y’know.”

“Yeah, well, it was the only way I could get my mum to agree to let me sleep at Tyler’s.” Said Josh, “I also said that you’d be there, so if she calls you, pretend you’re with us.”

“Gross.” Ryan said.

“Not like that. I mean, pretend like you’re with us at an actual sleepover.”

“Fine but you owe me.”

“No, I don’t.”

“No, you don’t.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Last chance to tell me if you want smut in the next chapter or not (don't worry, if I put it in, I will change the tags etc.), but please comment even if you don't care, if just to let me know that I'm not talking to myself here.


	14. HeavyDIRTYSoul

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the smutty one that a few of you asked for. If you don't wanna read the smut, it starts at "The kiss deepened" (Of course it does), and ends at "They lay like that for a few minutes." Sorry for waiting so long to post this chapter, to be honest, I was kinda dreading it, so there probably won't be any more like this, except maybe prom night??? I don't know, I'll figure it out eventually.

After school, Tyler and Josh walked straight to Josh's house to get his overnight bag, then to Tyler's house, hand in hand. It was almost as if it were any other evening, but they both knew that it wasn't.

When they got to Tyler's house, Josh noticed that the driveway was already empty. He'd half expected Tyler's parents to still be there, and that they'd leave later in the evening, but apparently not. It was really happening.

“Do you want a drink?” Tyler asked Josh as they went inside, slipped off their shoes and dropped their bags by the stairs.

“What do you have?” Josh replied, sitting in one of the tall breakfast bar chairs in the kitchen.

“Tea, coffee, milk, water, apple juice... ketchup..?” Tyler listed as he looked through the fridge.

“Ohh ketchup please!” Josh said, eliciting a laugh from both of them. “Nah, I'll just have apple juice, thanks.”

Tyler poured them a glass of apple juice each, and sat down in the seat next to Josh. “Is that a mirror in your pocket?” He said, “Because I can see myself in your pants.”

Josh nearly spat out his drink out of surprise, but managed to swallow it despite his laughter. “Do you work at the post office? Because you can check out my package.”

“Are you a parking space? Cause when I see you I can't do anything straight.”

“There are 8 planets in our solar system, but there'll only be 7 when I destroy Uranus.” At this point, the two boys were laughing so hard their cheeks and stomachs hurt.

“Okay I have one more: I'll treat you like my homework- slam you on the table and do you all night long.” Tyler finished, both of them completely out of pick up lines, still laughing hysterically.

They both took a sip from their drink in unison and when their laughter had died down, Josh asked, “Tyler?”

“Yeah?”

“You do want this, right?” Josh took another sip.

“Apple juice? Of course I do, I poured it for myself.” He replied, still smiling from the pickup line about the planets.

“But... say if you wanted water instead, you would get water, wouldn't you? You didn't just get apple juice because I wanted apple juice?” 

“Josh, it's okay, I got apple juice because it was what I wanted too.” Tyler finished his drink, stood up, and put his glass in the dishwasher. “Apple juice is what you wanted, right?”

“Yeah, I guess I'm just a bit nervous because I normally just drink orange juice.” Josh put his glass in the dishwasher as well, then stood facing Tyler by the sink.

“Well, I'm sorry, I don't have any orange juice.” Tyler said, kissing Josh on the cheek, then whispering, “Or a vagina.” into his ear, making him flinch a little at the harsh sound whispering caused.

“How did you know it was a metaphor?” Josh had thought he'd hidden that metaphor pretty discreetly, but yeah, it was pretty obvious.

“Because I have at least _two_ brain cells, dumbass.” Tyler took Josh's hand and led him upstairs, both of them picking up their bags as they went.

When they got to Tyler's room, they both set down their bags. Tyler went to the toilet, so while he waited, Josh sat on Tyler's bed and went through some selfies of the two of them that were on his phone.

Tyler came back and sat next to Josh, “I thought of another one.”

“Hmm?” Josh responded, looking away from his phone.

“Is that a cell phone in your back pocket? Cause that ass is calling me.” Josh didn't laugh, he just smiled feebly, making Tyler say, “You okay?”

“What? Yeah, oh, yeah, I'm fine, great, stupendous.”

“We don't have to do this if you don't want to.”

“Of course I want to. I just... it's hard to explain... for so long, I thought I was straight, literally just because I didn't want to date Brendon. And then we... y'know... at your party, and then _everything changed_ (God, this sounds like the blurb of a young adult novel), but it all worked out, didn't it? Because now we're friends with Brendon again, and I have you, and Jenna- she's cool. What I'm saying, or what I'm taking ages to explain, is that... I love you, and the way things worked out... I like it, I don't think I'd have it another way.” Josh explained.

“Me neither. I love you too.” Tyler said, a bit dumbfounded at the essay, then pulled his boyfriend's face towards him with both hands so he could reach his lips.

The kiss deepened; Josh threw his phone on the floor, placing his hands on Tyler's hips, leaning towards him until he was lying down. Josh started unbuttoning Tyler's shirt, occasionally pecking small kisses on his torso as he worked his way down. When he was finished with Tyler's shirt, they both sat up and took off Josh's T-shirt, which, fortunately, didn't have buttons.

Tyler reached for Josh's belt, “You're really sure you want this?” He asked.

“Yes.” Josh said firmly, undoing his belt and pulling off his jeans, revealing his boner behind his underwear. He helped Tyler with his jeans as well, and they continued kissing passionately.

Josh's lips moved from Tyler's lips to his jaw to his ear, which he teased a little, making Tyler release a small moan, then carried on moving down his chest, to his stomach. He made eye contact with Tyler, who nodded at him before he pulled down Tyler's underwear, then Josh kissed along Tyler's hipbone, to the inside of his thighs. Then he lifted himself away, glancing once again at Tyler, who was smiling warmly at him, before bringing his head down again, this time to Tyler's dick.

He started by kissing the tip, then worked his way down as far as he could, and then back up again, where he licked the slit, making Tyler gasp. Josh could sense Tyler fighting the urge to buck his hips up, so he pulled away and returned his mouth to Tyler's.

Tyler pulled down Josh's underwear as soon as he could reach it, managing to do so without breaking their kiss, then Josh pulled them completely off.

“Do you have lube and a condom?” Josh asked quietly. Tyler nodded and reached into the drawer under his bed, pulling out the two items. He handed Josh the condom and waited for him to put it on, then handed him the lube before laying down with his legs on either side of his boyfriend. 

Josh put some lube on one finger then put it next to Tyler's entrance, looking again in Tyler's eyes before slowly pushing it in. Tyler gasped at the unfamiliar feeling, making Josh smile as his finger bottomed out, so he took out the finger and replaced it with two, and when they were in as far as they would go, he replaced them with three fingers. 

At this point, Josh could see how hard Tyler was, so he pulled out his fingers and quickly lubed himself up, pausing before pushing in, if only to check the expression on Tyler's face, which, to his relief, seemed to be pretty damn happy. As he pushed his dick inside Tyler's hole, Josh felt amazing. The last time he'd done this was months ago when he was drunk and once before that with Debby, but she wasn't as _tight_ as this. He slowly went deeper and deeper until he couldn't get any further inside Tyler, even though he wanted to.

Tyler looked like he was in a little bit of pain, but he still said, “Move.”

Josh complied, pulling out a little bit before pushing slowly back in, the again, and again, and oh God, this is the best feeling possible, Josh started speeding up, and soon enough, he was thrusting into Tyler with a rhythm, barely noticing the noises coming out of his mouth as he did so.

“I'm close.” Tyler said, his voice sounding strained. Josh picked up the pace even more; the bed was banging against the wall, so he was glad they were home alone for this.

Josh started to jerk off Tyler and he quickly started to feel it throbbing as Tyler was about to come. “I'm gonna... Oh God Josh please...”

If Josh thought being inside Tyler felt great before, he'd had no idea how it would feel to be inside Tyler when he was cumming, and not long after, Josh was cumming too. 

Josh thrust into Tyler a few more times to ride out his orgasm, before pulling out and falling on the bed next to him, in a (slightly sticky, yet) warm embrace.

They lay like that for a few minutes before Josh stood up and went to the bathroom to dampen a towel to wipe the two of them down with, kissing his boyfriend before he went, and after he got back.

"I think I've figured it out, " Josh said as he lay down next to Tyler again, their bare legs re-tangling together without either of them thinking about it.

"What?"

"The difference between bisexual and pansexual."

"What's the difference between bisexual and pansexual?" Tyler echoed; his brain still wasn't working properly.

"It was hard to tell, because different places said different things, and a lot of them said that bisexuals are only attracted to males and females, but pansexuals are attracted to all genders, but that's not true because that's not how attraction works. From what I gather, pansexuals can love all genders, in the same way, and the same amount- 50/50, yeah?" Tyler nodded, but he was amazed Josh could say so much after what they had just done together, "But bisexuals, they can love all genders, but in different ways, and some of them in different amounts. Generally, people say girls are softer and guys are rougher. Basically, I love you like 'I wanna tear your clothes off and fuck you on this table'" As Josh was saying this, he pulled himself over Tyler, in a position that might be described as missionary (just without any...penetration...), "But I loved Debby like 'I wanna tuck that strand of hair behind your ear, then kiss you all the way down to-"

"I think that's enough, thank you" Tyler put his finger on Josh's lips to shut him up.

"Sorry"

"You can do that to me too, though, if you like"

"Maybe I will" Josh then tried to tuck Tyler's hair behind his ear, "Not sure if you have enough hair"

"Shut up." Tyler giggled and pulled Josh's face down so he could kiss him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> By the way, Josh's explanation for his sexuality is the same as mine, so don't be like "no that's not the difference between bi and pan" okay? You can tell me your opinion, but just remember, they're only words so it doesn't really matter. I hope someday in the future there won't even be any labels or anything because no one will care about that sort of thing. Anyway, leave a comment to let me know what you thought of this... unusual... chapter, and I'll try to update pretty soon, but no promises, because I have no idea what people do at church.


	15. Slowtown

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which I break the fourth wall a lot. The first time, it's funny. The second time, it's just sad. There's also the hair thing. And... I've just remembered why I don't normally do summaries.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sososososo sorry for the wait. Just... college, y'know? Plus we were doing creative writing in English, and now we're onto independent work in Art, so that's a lot of my creativity being funnelled into actual qualifications. No but I really am sorry for the wait, and sorry this chapter's so naf, to be honest. Also, maybe check out my Clique amino account (same name again) because I normally say if I post a new chapter, or make polls about whether or not I SHOULD post a new chapter right now. There's also art and shit there so if you want to follow me, feel free, if not, that's cool too. I might have to get help from my cousin for the next chapter because I'm not really sure how church works so...yeah... It might also take a while so keep your expectations as low as they already are (maybe even lower) and I'll just. Try. Okay? Cool. Bye. (P.S. I said also a lot here.) (PPS calm down with the A/N, @me)

The next day, Josh woke up alone in Tyler's bed. Confused as to why Tyler wasn't there, he hobbled around the house for a while to try and find him. Eventually, he found Tyler in the kitchen frying something while humming a song Josh didn't recognise. When he saw Josh had walked in, he rushed over to him, smiling into a kiss.

“Hey.” Tyler said.

“Hey.” Josh echoed. “What's all this?”

“I wanted to make you breakfast.” He said, “Something special for my special guy.”

“Bit cheesy but I'll take it.” Josh laughed.

With that, Tyler skipped to the fridge (or as much as he could with the limited space) and took out the apple juice. “Still want apple juice?”

“Of course I do.” Josh said, sitting down at the dinner table.

Tyler poured them both an apple juice then threw away the empty carton. He then served the fried breakfast before placing it in front of Josh and sitting next to him at the table. 

“Hi Josh.” Tyler said quietly as if they hadn't just greeted each other.

“Hi Tyler.” Josh said through a smile, then kissed Tyler sweetly.

“Wait wait wait” Tyler pulled away, only enough to be able to talk. “I forgot the present I bought for you.” Tyler went to his bag (which he must've brought downstairs while Josh was asleep) and pulled out the most obnoxious shade of yellow hair dye imaginable. “Links.” He whispered.

“I'm confused.” Josh said aptly.

“Not as confused as you're gonna be. Now eat your breakfast.”

\---

It was surprisingly easy to re-dye Josh's hair, though Tyler had never done it before and his stubborn boyfriend wasn't exactly making it simple.

“Hold still.” Tyler said, massaging the dye into his already bleached hair.

“Tyler this wasn't even a bet. It was a slight joke you made and this is getting out of hand.” Josh tried to stand up, but Tyler pulled him down by his shoulders. Luckily Tyler had anticipated Josh would do this, so he was only ruining a dressing gown with the dye, and not any real clothes.

“You're the one getting out of my hands.”

“When did you even have the chance to buy this?” Josh wondered aloud, “We are always together.”

“Not your problem.” Tyler said, “Your problem is that all this struggling is gonna give you a yellow forehead.”

\---

Tyler couldn't hold back his laughter when he saw Josh's new hair. Josh looked surprisingly happily at his reflection.

“You know what, Tyler?” Josh finally said, “I actually like it. Thanks babes.”

“Babes?” Tyler said with a scrunched up nose. He was sitting on the edge of his bed and sending Brendon, Ryan and Jenna snapchats about Josh's hair. This was going to make a funny story. “Did you just called me 'babes'?”

“No I spoke to you.” Josh laughed at his own, very unfunny joke, which the author will later regret putting in this chapter.

“ _What?_ ” Tyler was very confused.

“Who's blonde now?”

“You. Very much you. Nobody more than you.”

“Yes and I've never gone blonde- or yellow- before. I actually like it.”

Tyler stood up, baseball cap in hand, hidden behind his back, and crept towards Josh from behind. Josh was looking in the mirror, however, so he could easily see Tyler approaching.

“For church.” Tyler said, “I think you should wear this.” He then placed the cap on Josh's head, flattening the hair he was so desperately trying to tame.

“Hey!” Josh exclaimed, “Wait...” He turned the cap around on his head, a few bright yellow strands of hair falling through the hole in what was now the front.

Tyler was, again, laughing hysterically, “You can't be serious, _Babes_.”

“ _Babes_.” Josh said, “Yes I am.”

Tyler skilfully positioned himself between Josh and the mirror, forcing Josh's face very close to his own. “Wear that hat like that at church tomorrow...” He began, somehow bringing his face even close to Josh's, but still without touching it, “And I'll give you another present...” He reached up, pecking Josh's nose with his lips, but drawing back before Josh could return his affections, “And believe me, it'll be way better than the hair dye.”

“And if I don't?” Josh asked.

“One, you won't get to find out what the present is. Two, you won't get the present. And three,” Tyler began to walk away, calling the next part behind him as he picked up his phone and walked through the door. “Your mum will see your stupid hair!”

Josh thought about how this dramatic behaviour was more typical of Jenna than Tyler, then decided to chase Tyler and tickle him for making his hair look dumb then mocking him about it.

\---

“Hey, so you know the first time we... _did it_?” Tyler was sitting in between Josh's legs on the sofa, their arms tangled around Tyler's waist, watching some cartoon neither of them had watched since they were eight.

“By _it_ do you mean 'had sex'?” Josh asked.

“No I meant 'shared a tub of fries'- of course I meant sex, I just wasn't gonna be so crude.”

“Ah yes, wouldn't want to embarrass ourselves in front of _all these people_.” Josh lifted his hand from Tyler's to motion around the clearly empty room.

“Don't be a dick.” Tyler said, “Back to my original point...”

“Sorry for being a dick. Continue.” Josh said, “But you love me really.”

“Unfortunately.” Tyler paused, “Anyway, remember how, the morning after, you said your ass hurt too?”

“Yeah... where are you going with this?”

“Well,” Tyler (and the author) carefully considered how to word the next sentence, “Maybe... we could make that happen again?” He said the word 'again' like it was a question in itself, and the entire phrase like he was both drunk and stoned and trying to walk as quietly as possible on eggshells, all at the same time.

Josh clocked what Tyler had said, “You want to top?”

Tyler nodded, turning around slightly to try and make eye contact. Josh let out one breath of laughter, “Way to beat around the bush...”

“So? Can I? Can _we_?”

“Had to go and make everything cheesy.” Josh said, “But sure, I'm down.”

“You're _down_?” Tyler said, somehow managing to stand up, despite the arm-barrier, “Josh, remember when I told you not to be a dick?”

Josh chuckled like the cartoon villain on the tv and followed Tyler upstairs.


	16. Friend, Please

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to everyone reading this who hasn't watched/knows nothing about Supernatural. This was a weird one but I think it's pretty funny so meh. Actually it's stupid and you probably need to suspend your disbelief for a little. Anyway, on with the chapter, I guess.

“Shh-sss-hhh.” Brendon snickered. Ryan knew that he was drunk, but he couldn't have been as drunk as Brendon. “We'll wake them up.”

“Brendon it's 6pm.” Ryan retorted dryly. “And you're very drunk.”

“Do you have a key?” Brendon asked, ignoring Ryan's comments.

“To Josh's new boyfriend's house? Of course I don't.” Ryan said, approaching Tyler's front door. The lights were off and the curtains to - what he assumed was - the living room were closed.

“I'll just have to pick the lock then.” Brendon said, clumsily pulling some pre-bent hair pins from his pocket and jamming them in the keyhole.

“What? Brendon, no. Where did you even get those from? Did you plan this? Brendon, stop.” Ryan floundered, trying to stop Brendon from breaking into their friend's house, but he was also giggling a lot. “Brendon.”

“Almost got it.” He was nowhere near 'it'.

Ryan reached past him and pushed the door handle down, not helping his boyfriend as he fell through the doorway. 

As he walked in, stepping over Brendon to do so, he immediately heard the sound of cheesy R&B music coming from the living room. Even in his inebriated state, he could infer what was happening in that room, but the same could not be said of Brendon, who was already walking towards the door, clearly intent on opening it. In an effort to stop him, thinking the door was a 'pull', Ryan pushed against the door, but ended up falling in the very room he was trying so desperately to stay out of right now, taking Brendon down with him.

“Ryan!? Brendon!?” Josh exclaimed, quickly taking Tyler's dick out of his ass and putting some clothes on while Tyler also put some clothes on.

“Ryan look!” Brendon cackled, “Josh is a bottom.”

Ryan, who was still in shock (and on the floor), covered both his and Brendon's eyes, but made no effort to move or explain why they were here.

\---

“Brendon is clearly very drunk,” Ryan later explained, the three of them were now sitting at the kitchen table, a drink in each of their hands. Brendon was in Tyler's parents' bed, having fallen asleep as soon as they crossed the threshold into the room. “And you know what his parents are like. I just thought maybe we could stay here tonight since you're home alone.”

“Okay but wh-” Tyler started, but was interrupted by Josh.

“I am not a bottom.” Josh said, clearly preoccupied, “We were just trying it that way.”

“Josh you have literally bottomed 50% of the times we've had sex.” Tyler deadpanned, not even slightly embarrassed in Ryan's presence. They had a silent argument that went something like:

_Josh: Don't embarrass me in front of my friends._

_Tyler: What? It's just the truth._

_Josh: Yes but-_

_Tyler: You do realise one of them bottoms as well? They won't think less of you, y'know._

_Josh: ...True. But that's not the problem. If they think I'm a bottom then they might think I did... kinky shit with Debby._

_Tyler: How the hell did I tell what you meant by that just from your face?_

_Josh: I don't know. We must be spending too much time together._

_Tyler: There's no such thing as spending too much time with you._

_Josh: Aww babes..._

Ryan was very confused, but apparently Tyler's comment about how often Josh bottoms was very attractive to Josh, and after sharing a lot of weird facial expressions, they began making out. Ryan just sighed, finished off his drink, then went upstairs to rub toothpaste on his teeth.

“Hey, where did Ryan go?” Tyler asked when his lips finally separated from Josh's.

\---

“Aww, aren't they little angels when they sleep?” Josh whispered, peeking in on the room Ryan and Brendon were sleeping in.

“Angels don't sleep, Dean.” Tyler replied almost reflexively.

“If that was a reference to something, I don't understand it.” Josh said slightly louder after closing the bedroom door behind him.

“Wait, you haven't watched supernatural?” 

Josh shook his head and started making his way towards Tyler's bedroom.

“Right, either we're watching the pilot right now, or we're breaking up.” Tyler said, already logging onto his laptop and finding a suitable streaming site.

“Fine.” Josh tried to grumble, though it didn't work very well as he was very clearly smiling at the thought of his and Tyler's first show to watch together (this is a real thing, shut up). “But don't spoil anything, okay?”

“You got it.” Tyler said as he leant back against Josh's shoulder as a cue to put his arm around him, then the logo appeared on the screen followed by the words “Lawrence, Kansas, 22 years ago” and Josh could've sworn he heard a very high-pitched noise come from Tyler's direction.

\---  
It was now 10pm and they have binged about a quarter of the first season.

“So Sam and Dean's mother was killed by the demon?” Josh asked.

“Yes that was like the first episode, keep up.” Tyler said, clicking 'next episode' as soon as the theme music played.

“So if there's demons in this universe, does that mean there's angels?”

Tyler's eyes widened slightly and he looked like he was about to say something, but decided against it, “You said no spoilers, so...”

“I know but just one won't hurt.”

Tyler hit pause as a kid's dad was brutally killed by Bloody Mary.

\---

It was a while after midnight now and Tyler had been explaining the plot of the following seasons to Josh (as well as why, in his opinion, Castiel and Dean should- if not will- have some sort of romance before they cancel the show).

“So Castiel is probably in love with Dean?”

“Exactly. And we know that Dean likes guys because he flirted with a guy in season 7 when Charlie couldn't because she's gay. Not to mention his internalised homophobia from season 3 onwards.”

“So what you're saying is that... you're in love with Dean?” 

“What? No!” Tyler playfully shoved Josh's shoulder.

“Cas then?” Josh smirked. "You're clearly imprinting your feelings on one of them."

“Wrong and wrong again.” Tyler pushed Josh so far he fell back, then pinned him down by the wrists, both of them smiling as he did so, “I'm in love with you, silly.” Then he leant down and kissed him sweetly on the lips, his grip on Josh's wrists slowly loosening as the kiss deepened.

Josh pulled away slightly, “Dude that was so cheesy.” he said against Tyler's lips, not having been able to pull back very far, then proceeded to kiss him again.

“Wanna pick up where we left off before we were _so rudely_ interrupted?” said Tyler, already starting to take off his shirt.

“Nah-uh.” Josh said, “I'm topping this time; you are not having the higher statistic.”

Tyler laughed, “You bisexuals and your prejudices...”


	17. Oh Glory

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yay, more slightly darker pixels on a screen that combine to make letters that combine to make words that combine to make sentences that combine to make paragraphs that combine to make a new chapter! I had to return my laptop to factory settings and lost what I'd written (which, granted, was only about 150 words) so I was really annoyed that I lost it. Also I have an exam on Wednesday which I am currently procrastinating revising for, hence, I wrote a new chapter. I really struggled with naming this chapter because all I could think of was Take me to Church but I'm only doing patd and top songs so that wouldn't work. Normally the titles just come to me and I'm like "Yeah, that totally fits!" but not this time. This was a weird chapter tbf. Aaanyways, enjoy!

“Wakey-wakey, eggs and bakey!” Tyler called through the door. There was a slight shuffling noise from the other side before it was opened by a very scruffy looking Brendon.

“Did you make eggs and bakey?” He yawned.

“Nope, but there's cereal and bread for toast in the kitchen.” Tyler said. 

“I'm beginning to not like you, Tyler.” Brendon said, smiling.

“I just wanted to tell you that Josh and I are going now and you have to leave before my parents get back, which will probably be at about the same time as us.” He started walking in the direction of the stairs, “Make sure everything's tidy, and it'd be nice if you changed the sheets- make me look like a good son.”

“Fuck you, I'm not doing that.” Brendon said firmly, shutting the door. Tyler just laughed and went down the stairs to where Josh was tying his shoelaces.

“Ready to go?” Tyler asked.

“Yup.” Josh said, standing up and kissing him softly on his jawline.

“Are you sure you're ready for this? Coming out?” Tyler was stood on the bottom step, so now it seemed like he was taller than Josh. He loosely hooked his arms around the back of his neck to steady himself as he looked sincerely into his boyfriend's eyes.

Josh tried to avoid this eye contact by looking down and blinking a lot, but he still nodded. “Just a little nervous. It's fine. It's... what needs to happen. What I want to happen.”

“Good.” Tyler smiled, leaning in to kiss him- on the lips, this time- his hands gently holding onto the back of Josh's head. “Because I want this too.”

No sooner had he said that than there was a knock on the door. Josh looked up at Tyler, who then jumped down from the step, wiping the spit off his lips, and opened the door. “Hi.” He said to Josh's parents extending a hand for either of them to shake and smiling.

“Hi. Laura.” Said the woman, who Tyler now knew to be called Laura, shaking his hand.

“William, but you can call me Bill.” Josh's dad said, taking Tyler's hand from his wife.

“Tyler.” Tyler said, smiling at them both again. “Shall we go?”

Josh passed Tyler through the door and Tyler locked up, posting the key through the letterbox where he had left a note telling Brendon and Ryan to lock it when they leave as well and to leave the key under the plant pot by the door.

\---

Josh's parents drove them to church ten minutes early and they waited around outside, introducing Tyler to the other people who had come early. Josh silently wondered how they all might react if Tyler were being introduced as his boyfriend rather than his friend, but dismissed that thought because _it's 2017, no one's homophobic anymore, right?_ But what if they were? Oh God, what if his parents were? He'd never heard them say something particularly homophobic but it's always different when it's your own kid, isn't it? What if they're biphobic as well? What if they say that Debby was some sort of beard? _What if they never let me see Tyler again?_

_Okay, this needs to stop. None of this will happen, you're just getting yourself worked up over nothing. Your parents are great, Josh, even if they don't understand at first, they're sure to come around eventually. They have to._

People were starting to walk into the church, now. Tyler wrapped his little finger around Josh's for a moment, clearly noticing how anxious Josh looked.

“You okay?” Tyler whispered.

Josh nodded, smiling the smile you only ever smile when you're trying to convince yourself that everything's okay. Josh knew Tyler knew what this meant, but was grateful he didn't comment on it any further.

The group sat in a line on the same pew, with Josh's dad sitting next to Josh's mum sitting next to Josh sitting next to Tyler, who was sitting next to an otherwise empty pew. There was a slight gap between Tyler and Josh, which they used to overlap their hands discreetly. They held a hymn book and a booklet which told them which songs to sing and when between them, both standing up and sitting down at all the right times throughout the service.

\---

After, they went to a small building with a stage and a piano and toilets and a kitchen, where everyone ate biscuits and drank tea and coffee (and orange and apple juice for the children, who had just been at Sunday school). Everyone was milling around, talking with people generations apart from them. Of course, Josh's parents used this opportunity to ask Tyler a few questions like:

“Which church do you normally go to, then?”

“You go to the same school as Josh? What classes do you take?”

“You're so handsome, do you have a girlfriend?”

Tyler tried to answer them as politely as possible- he did, after all, want them to like him, it would make it a hell of a lot easier for Josh to come out that way- but he didn't know what to say for that last one. He glanced at Josh, who looked embarrassed, alarmed, and slightly worried at what answer Tyler would give. He resolved to just say, “No.” and laughed a little to avoid forcing Josh to come out any sooner than necessary. He knew he'd made the right decision when Josh gave him a thankful look, and returned to answering the (apparently very long) list of questions Josh's parents had in store for him.

He ended up having a lot of biscuits.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please leave comments and stuff as ideas of what tf to do with the plot after this 'weekend', or there'll literally be 2 more chapters and then I'll finish it, and I know none of us want that. Or maybe you just want me to stop with all this bulls*** and finally finish it. I don't know what goes through your minds (but I would if any of you ever commented ahaha). Okay I'll stop nagging at you now. Go read another fanfiction by someone who actually updates.


	18. Hometown

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, hi! Haven't seen you in like a month, I know, crazy how lazy I am, right? Though in my defence, I have had exams this time, so yeah. I just got really inspired to write from doing this creative writing workshop for college, which was really fun, and apparently, at the end we get to choose our best pieces and put them in a book, which is really exciting tbh. Also you may have noticed that this is a really long chapter in comparison to all my others, something like 2500 words, so yeah, that's also pretty cool. In fact, a lot of things are pretty cool right now, for me anyway, except for the weather, it is BOILING (I just googled it and apparently it's 29 degrees C today, which is, in fact, 71 degrees from boiling). Anyway, sorry for babbling, enjoy the chapter, leave a comment yadayada.

After the service, Josh's family (now including his siblings, who had been at Sunday school, which was co-led by Ashley) returned to their house along with Tyler. As Josh's parents made dinner- a traditional Sunday roast- he and Tyler returned to his bedroom.

“So did you enjoy the service?” Josh said, mimicking his mother's voice from earlier in the car, when she'd asked the same question. 

Originally, Tyler's reply had been, “Yeah, it was great. Not too different from my church, actually.” But this time, after shutting Josh's bedroom door, he said, “Church is church.” And then wrapped his arms loosely around the back of Josh's neck, softly kissing him, causing Josh to fall back and sit down on his bed out of surprise.

Josh pulled away, smiling candidly and looking into Tyler's eyes, a little cross-eyed because of how close they were.

“What?” Tyler asked, giggling a little.

“You.” Josh grinned.

“What about me?”

“I just... can't believe I used to think I was straight.” He looked down a little, which was difficult because that meant he was basically just unintentionally looking at Tyler's crotch. “And now I'm about to come out to my parents, and it's all because of you, really.”

Tyler just looked down as well, pressing their foreheads together.

“I love you.”

“I love you too.”

\---

Who-knows-how-long later, the three teenagers and two children in that house were all running downstairs at the smell of roasted food and the shout of Laura.

After everyone had sat at the table, Laura placed each of the hot pots and pans in the middle, distributed plates and told them all to, “Help yourselves.”

Josh spooned various different types of food onto his plate, quietly wondering how all this fitted into their reasonably small oven. They didn't normally have a roast this extravagant, just a chicken, some potatoes and vegetables, but apparently his mum had pulled out all the stops for Tyler's visit, and he wasn't going to be the one to complain.

“So what did you two do at your sleepover?” Bill asked, pouring gravy on his food.

Josh noticed Ashley try to suppress a snort, and smiled sarcastically at her, “Actually Tyler introduced me to this really good show called Supernatural, ever heard of it?”

“No, what's it about?”

“It's about these two brothers who go around the country s-”

“Saving people, hunting things, family business,” Tyler imitated Dean's voice as he had said that phrase during the 'Then' section of each episode they'd watched together. Both of them burst into laughter at Tyler's failed attempt at his husky voice.

“Aww, you two are such good friends, I only wish I'd had a friend like that in high school. Girls are so obsessed with cliques and drama.” Laura said. Josh was sure he was imagining it, but she seemed to emphasise the word 'friend' every time she said this.

He glanced at Tyler, who almost unnoticeably nodded at him, who took his hand, weaving their fingers together, under the table.

“Well actually, there's something I've been wanting to tell you.” He began, feeling his heart beat harder.

“Oh shit.” Ashley said.

“Language!” Laura snapped at her, “What did you want to tell me, Josh?”

Josh's heart beat so hard he was sure Tyler could feel it; Tyler gave Josh's hand a quick squeeze in reassurance.

“I'm... bisexual.” He said it quietly, but was sure everyone in the room had heard.

“Oh shit.” Ashley mouthed, staring at her plate, then her parents.

Laura took Bill's hand, smiling sweetly (or was it smugly?) at her husband. “Well done for telling us, sweetie. That takes a lot of courage.” She then glared at Bill.

“Um, yeah, that's right.” He said, not really knowing what else _to_ say.

“So are you and Tyler...”

“Dating? Yeah.” Josh smiled at his boyfriend, who was alternating between smiling reassuringly at Josh and smiling awkwardly at Josh's parents.

“Can you pass the peas?” Abigail asked quietly. Ashley gave her the pot with the vegetables in without looking away from Josh and their parents, still eating her meal like it was popcorn at a cinema.

“That's nice, dear, can we pick this conversation up after dinner?” Laura said, sounding more like his mother than ever.

They all continued to eat without talking for the next couple of minutes, the silence only broken by the scraping of cutlery on plates, and the occasional burst of conversation from Abigail and Jordan.

\---

“Ashley, Jordan, Abby, you can all be excused.” Laura said when everyone was finished.

“Oh, what!?” Ashley asked incredulously.

“What about pudding?” Abigail asked innocently.

“Ashley, this is none of your business. Abigail, there is ice cream in the fridge, you can all eat it in your rooms. And take your plates and put them in the dishwasher.” Bill replied.

“Okay, boys, let's take this to the living room, shall we?” Laura stood up, picked up the four plates, along with all the cutlery, and took them to the kitchen, before walking back into the living room where the three males were already sat.

Tyler and Josh had chosen to sit on the sofa, which meant that Laura and Bill had to choose between the armchairs and the other sofa. Bill had gone with an armchair, so Laura decided to do the same, if only to give the notion of agreement between the two.

“So Tyler, what electives are you taking in school?” Laura asked.

“Um, Music and Sports.” He said nervously, wishing he could hold Josh's hand, but figuring it might make the situation even awkwarder.

“Music? What do you play?” 

“Piano, ukulele, a bit of bass guitar... and I sing.” He listed, still trying not to make eye contact.

“Wow, that's a lot of instruments.” 

“Uh huh.”

“What's this about?” Josh butted in.

“We just really wanted to get to know your, uh, boyfriend.” Laura said.

“Well you didn't do this with Debby.”

“And we later wished we had.” She finished, but Josh didn't believe her, “What sports do you play, Tyler?”

“I, uh, really like basketball.” He finally made eye contact with her, but then quickly blinked it away. Dear God this was more awkward than he'd anticipated.

“Josh also plays a little basketball.” Bill said.

“Uh huh.” Tyler had to consciously tell himself to make eye contact with Bill, which was only about three times more awkward, so better than he'd expected.

“Is that how you met?”

“No, we're in the same Math class.” Josh said before Tyler could tell him that he was at a party, rather than sleeping over at Brendon's again. “The teacher paired us up for a project.”

Tyler just nodded at Josh's response, sensing the fact that he had lied to his parents.

“How _romantic_!” Laura said, though it sounded more like she was trying to convince Bill rather than actually reply to what he'd said. “Now... onto what I really wanted to talk about- at this sleepover this weekend, was Brendon really there?”

A wave of panic overcame Josh, _great, they're gonna know that we had sex_ he thought. “Um... yes?”

“Really? Because I called his mum and, well, she said he was at home last night.”

“Why did you call his mum?” Josh asked, trying to somehow shift the blame to her, “Because you don't trust me?”

“Why did you lie?” She insisted, ignoring his question. Tyler was feeling more and more awkward by the second.

“Okay fine, it was just me and Tyler.” He gave in, exasperated.

“That's Tyler and me.” Bill butted in.

“And at this... sleepover, did you two... what's the word the kids use today?” Laura asked.

“Yes.” Josh said, before he had to hear his parents say “hook up” or “make love” or some other cringey euphemism.

“Right. Do you mind if we have a word alone?” Laura said. The two boys got up and left the room in the direction of the kitchen, closing the door behind them, before suddenly bursting into the quietest laughter possible for that long in such an awkward situation.

“Why did you have to come out so early in the meal?” Tyler asked when he could actually breathe.

“What can I say? I saw my chance and I took it. ” Josh smiled at him before kissing him gently on the cheek they were holding hands now, both hands, as they had been itching to do throughout this entire conversation. “Besides, you're the one who nodded.”

“True...You do realise that they're going to try and give us the talk now. Oh God, what if they ask us who bottoms?” Tyler let go of Josh's hands for the sake of covering his face in a sort of second-hand embarrassment for his future self.

“Ugh,” Josh said, “Maybe we tell the truth?”

“Isn't this embarrassing for her too? To have to talk about all this with her son?” He rejoined their hands.

“Clearly you do not know my mother yet. She is utterly shameless.” He said.

The door clicked open next to them, “Josh, your mother wants to talk to you and your boyfriend, and I'm not allowed to have an input.” Bill said before going upstairs.

[A/N this is such proof that my parents split up when I was little, like, how does parenting work? Is this a likely situation? I have no idea. Whatever.]

“Tyler, Josh, can you please sit down?” Laura asked, gesturing at the sofa the were literally just planning on sitting on. She was sat with one leg crossed over the other, like a couple's therapist or something.

They sat down where they were before, only holding hands this time. Apparently, they had telepathically agreed that the rewards (being able to hold hands when they needed comfort) outweighed the risks (even more awkwardness).

“So Josh, when you got your first girlfriend, I had the talk with you about... how to have safe sex.” She began, to which Tyler gave Josh a semi-dreadful, semi-smug look, like _I told you this was gonna happen, and that it wouldn't be good_ , “But I'm a little concerned that I didn't tell you anything about the sort of sex you two might be having.”

“Mum, Mum, it's okay, we were really safe, we even used a condom.” Josh urged.

“Well done with that, but, uh, there's also some risks to do with... um... preparation.” She was clearly reading from her phone at this point.

“Yes, we know, we were very careful, okay?”

“And have you both been tested for STDs in the last year?”

“Well, yeah, after I had sex with Debby, I did, you're the one who told me to do it.” Josh said, his eyes darting to Tyler and back to see if he had any reaction to this. It can't be news to him, right?

“I did, a few months ago.”

“Good, good, so um, what else? Consent? That works the same for any gender, so you understand that, yes?”

“Yes.” Josh just honestly wanted this whole ordeal to be over.

“Are you two monogamous? There's no one else that I need to talk to is there?”

“Oh my God, mum, yes, we're monogamous.”

“That's oh my gosh,” She corrected, “And I'm getting you the HPV vaccine. And maybe a leaflet or two from the doctor's office.”

“Fine.”

“Hey we're American, we have to pay for these things, I think you mean 'Thank you'”

“Sure, thanks, mum.”

“And I'm calling Tyler's parents to make sure he gets it too.”

“Okay.” Tyler said, speaking for the first time in a while. Josh's relationship with his mum was really interesting to him, with how open and honest they were with each other. Hell, it had taken him years to summon up the courage to come out to his parents after he realised he was gay, yet Josh managed to do it within just a couple of months.

“Right, that's all for now, but if _anything_ happens, I'm the first port of call, yes? Or at least tell your father or one of Tyler's parents, or, Heck, even a school counsellor. Just, make sure to tell someone who can give you good advice on what to do, don't go bottling things up, okay?”

“Sure mum.”

“Thanks Laura.”

“You're welcome, Tyler.” She said, smiling at him for what seemed like the first time in forever, “You got yourself a good one here, Joshy.” Then she put her phone in her pocket and started putting away all the cups and pots of food that had been left in the dining room.

Tyler and Josh then went upstairs to Josh's room, “Oh my God, I love your mum.”

“Uh, thanks, me too, I guess.” He sat on the bed sideways and against the wall

Tyler took out his phone- 8:26pm, 2 missed calls, 3 unread messages.

“Damn I forgot to tell my parents how late I'd be staying.” He said, lying down on Josh's bed so his head was on Josh's thigh. “Although to be fair, I didn't know your mum would try and give us the talk.”

“Try? She succeeded giving us the talk, dude.”

“Very true.” He tapped the little speech bubble in the corner of his screen to see the messages.

_6:14pm_  
Mum: Hey hun, we're home xxx  
6:15pm  
Mum: What time are you coming back? xxx  
7:47pm  
Dad: Hi, just text or call us when you can, okay? X 

He wrote his reply, “Hi, sorry it took me so long to respond, my phone was on silent. I'll be back in half an hour, tops.” He was just about to press send when he decided to put a kiss at the end, “x” and then sent it to his mum.

“And after all that,” Tyler said, standing up, “I have to go, baby, I'm sorry.” He planted a soft kiss on Josh's forehead, but Josh grabbed him by the top of his arms and made him sit on his lap, before pulling him into a kiss- on the lips this time- which made Tyler giggle, “Hey, I'm not supposed to be that light.”

Josh started giggling too, but continued to try and kiss him, which just resulted in lots of little pecks along Tyler's jawline, and a few on his neck.

“Okay, okay, I really have to go, I told my parents I'd be back in half an hour.” Tyler said, trying again to pull away.

“Now why on Earth would you do that?” He said, continuing to leave soft kisses along his chin, up to his ear.

“Because they seem really worried, and I don't like making them worried.”

“What sort of teenager are you? Just sitting there, doing what you're told.”

“That sounds kinky, so that's my cue to go.” Tyler laughed, finding it a little difficult to stand up without hurting Josh in any way. “Love you.” He said sweetly, giving his boyfriend one last kiss on the lips before he left.

“Love you too,” Josh said, happy that he no longer had to worry about how loud he said it.


	19. Fairly Local

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow, I can't believe it, I'm actually posting a chapter (gasp). Sorry, like, actually, really sorry for taking like 8 months to post anything. I'm in my last year of college now (in Britain, so it's like being in your senior year in America, or 12th grade in Canada, or idk what in other countries), so I'm basically busy all the time. But then I realised, I spend so much of my time just watching telly or playing Sims or whatever, and people are waiting for the next chapter and I'm sitting here just making excuses. So yeah, that's what made me decide to post again.
> 
> Fair warning, this chapter does introduce an OC, so if you don't like that sort of thing... idk what to say, maybe don't read it? I know a lot of OCs are sort of Edward-Cullen-like in that they're just a fantasy of what the author wants but I tried not to do that with this character. I just really needed a love interest for Jenna- well, not needed, but really wanted. I thought she just seemed like the straight version of a gbf who doesn't get a happy ending for all their hard work improving the MC's love life. But yeah, I basically used a randomise website to create this character and adapted him to fit the story.
> 
> So anyways, I'll stop rambling and let you get on with reading this. Hope you like it, comment if you don't (or if you do), I'd love to know why/ why not. Also, feel free to complain about how long this took me, and how long the next chapter is likely to take me.

"Sooo???" Jenna was sitting across from Tyler and Josh at their table in the corner of the cafeteria at break, a sly smile plastered on her perfectly made-over face, "How was your weekend?"

Josh and Tyler looked at each other before saying in unison, "Eventful." All three of them smiled.

Jenna pointed her gaze at Josh, "First of all: did you come out?"

He let out a small breath, "Yeah, and it went... surprisingly well? I think so anyway. Tyler might not agree."

"Why what happened?"

"His mum basically gave us a sex-ed lesson." Tyler said, stealing one of Jenna's chips. She lightly slapped his hand, but let him have it anyway.

"Really?" She asked, that sly smile returning once again, "What did that entail? Condom on a dildo? Watching porn together and telling you everything that's not realistic?" She moved her face closer to his, speaking in a low voice, "Demonstrating BDSM?"

"I weep for your future children." Josh said bluntly.

"Nah she just talked about consent and lube basically." Tyler said as if it were a normal situation.

Jenna almost choked on her mountain dew. "As you do... So what about the rest of the weekend?" She asked once she'd recovered from that near-death experience, and winked several times after to clarify what she meant.

Tyler took Josh's hand, lacing their fingers together and placing them on top of the table. "It went... well." They smiled lovingly at each other.

"Is that all I get? 'It went well'? Come on Ty, I want details. We've been best friends since preschool, I want to know how your kinda-sorta first time went!" Her hands were braced on the table top, like a cartoonish boss ready to fire her employees.

"Oh my god, I was your first? That's so cute..." Josh smiled triumphantly at Tyler.

Tyler pointed at Josh, "You already knew that," then at Jenna, "and you don't need to know that." He paused before mouthing, "yet" at her.

"Aww, Babe, it's so cute that you pretend to keep the intimate details of our private life secret.” Josh said, kissing Tyler gently on the cheek.

It was at that point that Brendon and Ryan walked in, both with equally ruffled hair and faces that were a few shades pinker than normal. Brendon sat next to Josh and Ryan sat next to Jenna, their hands still linked together over the table.

“Where have you two been?” Josh asked jovially.

“Uhh, we were just-”

“Ca-catching up on...”

“Yeah catching up on that music project.” They managed to say.

“Sure, yeah, we did that music project this weekend...” Tyler mumbled, making Josh cackle.

“I've not done a music project in quite a while.” Jenna said, glancing around the room as if she was looking for someone. It was March now and she still didn't have a date for the prom. It wasn't the biggest thing in the world, but since all her friends had dates, it would be weird to go without. She looked back to Tyler and smiled knowingly at him, the way only best friends can.

“Okay fine, we were making out in a broom closet.” Ryan admitted through his teeth to make sure it was quiet.

“About that, Jenna, there was someone I met at the gym wh-” Josh began.

“Wait you go to the gym?” Tyler asked, somehow shocked.

“Well yeah, I mean, you've seen my rock hard apps right?” Josh said, almost pulling his shirt up to show him. Brendan did a spit take, even though (and fortunately) he wasn't drinking anything. “Anyway, he was saying he goes to this school and that he hasn't got a date for prom yet.”

“I'm not that desperate, Josh, I'm not just gonna date any old guy you meet at the gym.” Jenna retorted.

“I mean, he is pretty hot, but if you don't want to, I'll just set him up with Melanie or Sarah or someone.” Josh teased.

“Hmm... do you have a picture of him?”

“Yes, obviously, because I always take pictures of every hot guy I meet.” Josh said, taking out his phone.

“Wait I thought you were being sarcastic.” Tyler said.

“Calm down, I'm finding his Facebook profile.” Josh smiled at him, it was kinda cute that he was jealous of him.

“What's his name?” Jenna asked as she waited for Josh to find the page.

“Jax.”

“Ajax? Like 'stronger than grease'?” She asked.

“No, Jax. J-A-X.” Josh said, “Found it.”

He showed her the picture on his screen. It looked like a family photo from his birthday. Jenna had to admit, this “Jax” guy was pretty good looking; he had olive skin and dark brown hair that was almost black, which matched his equally dark eyes. In the picture, he was smiling, and it was a genuine smile, not like most people when someone takes their picture. He looked... nice. Damn, Josh had good taste, but then again, she already knew that.

All she could think to say was, “What sort of a name is Jax?”

“I think it's a nickname. His last name is Smith, I'm pretty sure.” Josh answered, putting his phone away. “So do you want me to give him your number or whatever the kids do these days?”

“Not my number, he might be a psycho.”

“He's not, he's really sweet.” Tyler whacked him on the arm a little bit, to show his slight jealousy again.

“Fine, I guess my phone number would actually be harder to trace than a lot of things anyway...”

“Okay, I'll tell him when I see him tonight.” Josh said.

“You're going to the gym tonight?” Tyler asked.

“Yeah, I always go on Tuesdays.”

“Since when?” Tyler whispered to himself, then said aloud, “So you've just been going off to the gym with this 'hot guy' every Tuesday?”

“Aww, don't get jealous, babe, he's straight.” Josh said before kissing him on the nose.

“So were you a few months ago.” Brendon cut in.

“Pshht.” Josh said as the bell rang.

They all walked to their next lesson, and as she threw her rubbish in the bin on the way out, she considered the idea of actually having a boyfriend. Well, she'd just have to see how this potential date went...


End file.
